Forever And For Always
by LSpade
Summary: Jim/Melinda. Their relationship is a strange one. Watch how they develop with the obstacles placed in their path. Please R&R.
1. He's Not What You Think

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would **

**definitely not be over.**

**New fanfic! Please enjoy!**

"Crap!" Melinda Gordon muttered under her breath as she ran out of her apartment. "Late again. He's gonna kill me."

She ran out to her car and drove as fast as she could to work. In the parking lot, Melinda gathered all of her stuff together and ran into the huge fashion designing building.

"Can you hold the elevator, please!" she ran down the hall. "Thank you so much. You saved me a lot of time."

"No problem. Anything for a beautiful lady." the guy smiled. "Which floor?"

"Thanks. Very top floor." she took a deep breath.

"I'm Sam. I came for a job interview." he held out his hand towards her.

"I'm Melinda. I am one of the two bosses here." she shook his hand.

"Oh, so are you the one giving the job interviews?" Sam asked, nervously.

"No." Melinda chuckled. "That would be the other boss. He handles all of the interviews, I handle all the meetings."

"Oh. Well I assume you two are always working together so how is the other boss?" he asked.

"Umm…" Melinda thought for a second. "He has his days."

"That doesn't sound so reassuring." Sam chuckled.

"Well, comes with the job, right?" she smiled.

The elevator opened on the top floor and they walked down the hall.

"Thanks again for not making me any later than I am." Melinda smiled gratefully.

"No problem. Maybe you could repay me by having dinner tomorrow night." Sam smiled.

"Okay, with who?" she joked.

"Haha. So, does eight sound good?" he asked.

"Eight sounds perfect." Melinda smiled. "Well, I gotta go before I hear it. See you around."

"Yeah, see ya." Sam smiled and walked away.

Melinda opened the door to her office and found her partner sitting at his desk on the other side of the room. They shared a huge office that could fit about fifty people comfortably. She walked over to her side and got settled in.

"You're late." he said, without looking at her.

"Does it matter? It's not like I missed anything." she sighed.

"Being late shows that you are not serious about this job." he said.

"No, it shows that I don't want to see you so early in the morning." Melinda shot back.

"Nice one." he scoffed. "I'm not too keen on seeing you either."

"And that's supposed to bother me?" she started typing on her computer.

"It's another long day today. Lots of meetings and interviews." he asked.

"Seriously, Jim? How many more days of this?" Melinda groaned.

"As many as it takes to get this company back off the ground again. A lot of damage has happened since my former partner was here." Jim sighed.

"You know, you never told me what happened." Melinda looked at him.

"He just screwed me over. Ruined the company and our friendship." he said sadly.

Melinda felt compassion for him.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"Why?" he became his normal self again. "You didn't tell him to come and ruin me. Or maybe you did. You would have the company all to yourself if I gave up all together."

"Oh yes. Because my life mission was to destroy you." she said sarcastically.

"Your life is that pathetic." Jim said.

"And your life is any better? You're a workaholic pig." she shot back.

"Please. You know you want me." he smirked.

"Gross. In your dreams." she gagged.

Before Jim could say anything else, his assistant walked in.

"Mr. Clancy, you're first interview starts in five minutes." she said.

"Thanks, Stephanie." he smiled at her flirtatiously.

She blushed and quickly walked out of the office. Melinda rolled her eyes.

"So typical of you." she shook her head in disbelief.

"What? That I'm actually nice to someone? I know it's a foreign concept to you but other people actually are." Jim stood up from his desk.

"That was not just nice. That was being a player." she stood up as well resting her hands on her desk. "And I know very well how to be nice."

"Look, being nice isn't for everyone." he walked over to her. "I think I would know if you were a nice person. And I hate to break it to you, but you're not one." Jim rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I am nice! Just not to you!" she swatted his hand away.

"Ouch. That hurt." he said sarcastically, placing a hand over his heart.

"I really wish it did." she said through clenched teeth.

"You don't mean that, baby." he moved his face closer to hers.

"Do NOT call me baby." she moved her face away from his.

"I can't call my wife baby?" he asked.

"Legally, I am your wife. It's only for the company. Affectionately, I'm still single." she stated, clearly.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Jim said as he walked out of the office.

Melinda huffed and sunk back in her chair. She slammed her hands on her desk.

"I hate him so much!" she muttered to herself. "I can't believe I agreed to this arrangement."

Jim walked into the interview room and got ready for his first applicant.

"Alright, Stephanie. Send in the first one." he motioned at his assistant.

She let the man into the room and took a step outside during the interview.

"Please have a seat and we'll get started." Jim didn't look up right away, as he started filling out the interview sheet.

"Jim." he said.

Jim froze at the sound of his name. He knew the voice too well. He looked up at the face he thought he'd never see again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jim stood up from his seat. "You have no right coming here."

"I had to see my old buddy." The guy lounged in the seat in front of Jim. "Wanted to see how he was handling this company. You know I thought I destroyed it."

"We're no longer buddies, Sam. And it takes a lot more than bankrupting us and losing clients to bring me down. You'd have to take a hammer to these walls." Jim gritted his teeth.

"Hey, that's a good idea. I'll be sure to remember that." he smiled.

"You will NOT do anything to this company. I work hard for it and I won't let some low life like you destroy it." Jim stated, clearly.

"Low life? I'm wounded." Sam said sarcastically and stood up. "By the way, I hope you don't have your partner working late tomorrow night. We got plans."

"What are you talking about?" Jim asked.

"Melinda is her name, isn't it?" Sam asked. "Oh, I'm gonna have my way with her and I'll have this company back in no time."

"You don't touch her!" Jim shouted.

"Why do you care, Jimmy? Your marriage to her means nothing, right? I can do whatever I want to her and you can't do a damn thing about it." Sam walked to the door. "Don't worry, you'll still have a job in the end. How do you look in a fast food uniform?"

With that, Sam walked out of the room. Jim slammed his hands against the desk. On his way out, Sam bumped into Melinda in the hallway.

"Oh, hey." he smiled.

"Hi." Melinda smiled. "How did your interview go?"

"Not well. I don't think Mr. Clancy liked me." Sam said, sadly.

"What? Why not?" she asked.

"I don't know. He's very bad tempered." Sam sighed.

"You don't have to tell me twice." she said. "Any particular reason why?"

"I have no idea. I don't know what I did wrong. And I was looking forward to working with you." he said sadly.

"Me too." Melinda sighed. "I'll talk to him. See if you might have a job here."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll come to visit you everyday if you want." he smiled.

"I would like that. And I'm looking forward to our date tomorrow." she smiled.

"Me too. I'll see you around, okay." Sam started to walk away.

"Okay, bye." she called after him.

Sam walked out of the building with a victory smile playing on his lips. So far, his trap was set. Meanwhile, Melinda turned her attention back to Jim and ran into the interview room. He didn't have an applicant in at the moment so she slammed the door behind her and glared at Jim.

"What the hell! Sam is a nice guy! Why the hell did you play your crap with him!" she steamed.

"He's not what you think he is." he looked up at her.

"And how would you know that? What, you're with him like ten minutes and you think you know everything about him?" she quipped.

"No, that's not what happened. And what about you? You've known him since this morning and you think you're an expert on him." Jim shot back. "Well, I've got news for you. I know more about him than you think."

"Well, why don't you enlighten me." she sat down in the chair in front of Jim and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." he said quietly.

"Try me, Jimmy. I'm your wife. You can tell me anything." Melinda said in a fake caring voice.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. Think what you want about Sam. I'm no one to try and stop you." he said, feeling defeated.

"You know what? You're right. Just because a little piece of paper says we're bound together doesn't mean a damn thing." Melinda got up and opened the door. "I was stupid to think this arrangement would work. I'm a free woman. I don't have to listen to you."

Jim watched her leave without another word. He sighed and slumped into his seat. He was generally concerned about his company, but overall, he was worried about what Sam was capable of. Melinda was not his favorite person in the world, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt. Some sacrifices were going to have to be made.

**Well, what did you think? Reviews are going to get you to chapter 2... Thank you for reading.**


	2. Getting Closer

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would ****definitely not be over.**

Six o'clock in the afternoon rolled around the next day and Melinda was ranting to her friends while they tried to help her choose something to wear for her date.

"He was like, 'I know more about him than you think.'." Melinda imitated Jim's voice. "And I was like well why don't you tell me how much you know and then he was like 'You wouldn't believe me anyway.' and I was like try me and then he was like I am no one to try and stop you from liking who you like and what you think of them. I mean come on. He's just the most ignorant, arrogant bastard I've ever met in my life!"

"Melinda! Breathe." Andrea, her best friend, told her.

Melinda took in a deep breath and exhale before sitting on her bed with the rest of her friends.

"Why did I listen to my parents about this?" Melinda pouted. "How could I possibly think that this was a good idea?"

"Because part of you finds Jim attractive." Holly said.

"Please. Don't make me puke." Melinda said.

"Come on, Mel." Delia said. "You're meaning to tell us that you have no feelings whatsoever for him? That he's a pig 24/7?"

"Yes!" Melinda exclaimed, but all her friends weren't convinced. "Okay, fine. Maybe I am a little, tiny bit attracted to him but so what? It's not enough for me to excuse his overall behavior. And plus I can assure you that I'm nothing to him."

"How can you be so sure?" Holly asked.

"Because of the way we act towards each other." Melinda said.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he is an ass to you because you're an ass to him?" Vanessa asked.

"Once." Melinda admitted. "But I doubt that's the case. He is genuinely annoying. Trust me. Working with him everyday is like a sport. You have to be good at it in order to survive it."

"Well then why don't you try being nice to him?" Andrea suggested. "You guys are married. You might as well start getting along with each other."

"Because it never ends well." Melinda got up and walked over to her closet. "Plus, this isn't a love marriage. I don't love Jim and I have a hot date tonight. And you guys are here to help me pick out something to wear for Sam, not try to convince me that I like Jim."

"Honey, we're trying to help your situation." Hayden said.

"Yeah, won't it be complicated to explain to your potential boyfriend that you're married to your partner?" Melissa asked. "He might think you're trying to bang both of them."

"Sam won't think that. He's very understanding." Melinda smiled.

"Hey, what if Jim is making up stories about Sam because he's jealous?" Delia asked.

"Yeah, right. If anything, Jim is only worried I'd have another reason to blow off work." Melinda joked, causing the girls to laugh.

A couple hours later, Melinda was dressed in a fitted, eggplant purple dress that was knee-length and showed subtle cleavage. Her face was barely covered in make-up, which enhanced her natural beauty and her hair fell down her back in beachy waves. Black pumps and a black clutch were added to wrap her outfit together. Her friends left shortly after she was ready and she waited for her date to arrive.

At exactly 8 p.m., the doorbell rang and Melinda swiftly went to answer the door. Standing in front of her was Sam dressed in black dress pants, a dark green dress shirt, and a blazer.

"Wow, you look handsome." Melinda smiled.

"Thank you. And you look…" Sam looked her up and down. "Gorgeous."

"Thank you." she blushed.

"You're welcome. Are you ready?" he smiled.

"Yes. Let's go." she linked arms with him and they headed off into town.

Jim didn't trust Sam one bit after betraying him so he followed Sam and Melinda on their date. He tried his best to lay low and out of sight in order to avoid humiliation. Jim had to admit that seeing Melinda with another guy irritated him. They've known each other for years because their parents were good friends but they could never stand each other for too long. Their arranged marriage took place four months ago and their feuding had only grown worse since then. Granted, Jim and Melinda have had a few good moments in the past, they never noticed that deep down they liked one another.

Sam and Melinda were having dinner in the park where a magic show was being put on. They sat down and order their food right away. Jim sat a few tables away from them and observed Sam's behavior. Throughout the whole dinner, Jim caught himself staring at Melinda a few times. He never noticed how beautiful she really was. The way her hair fell around her face and the way she smiled made his heart skip a beat. He never looked at her the way he was right now. Jim never tried to make her smile before so seeing it now made him smile at the sight. He imagined what it would have been like if they had gotten to know each other. Maybe their marriage could have been real.

In the midst of his thoughts, Sam and Melinda left the park after their dinner. Jim followed close enough behind. The town was unusually quiet tonight, which made it easy for Jim to hear their conversation. He felt bad for listening in on them, but it was for the sake of the company.

"So, what did you think of the magic show?" Sam asked her.

"It was great, although it didn't leave us much time for talking." Melinda replied.

"I know. But we have plenty of time to talk now." he said. "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, what do you want to know?" she asked.

"Umm, well for starters, where did you live before Grandview?" he asked.

"Hamilton." she said. "Where did you live?"

"Grandview all my life. Well actually, I moved to Michigan for a couple months before coming back here." Sam answered.

"Oh, was it nice?" she asked.

"It was great. But something told me to move back to Grandview. Maybe it was to meet you." he smiled.

Jim rolled his eyes. _This guy is full of crap._ he thought to himself.

"That's very sweet." Melinda blushed. "So do you have any siblings?"

"Nope. I had a best friend who was like my brother. But things didn't work out. We drifted apart." Sam sighed.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she said.

"It's okay. So do you have any sisters? Or any brothers I need to worry about?" Sam smiled.

"I'm an only child but I have friends who are like my sisters. We're all really close. And as far as brothers go, some of my friends boyfriends and husbands are like my brothers." Melinda said.

"Oh, could they beat me up?" he chuckled.

"I bet they could." Melinda joked.

"Oh boy." Sam stressed. "Oh well. I guess you're worth it."

Melinda giggled. They continued to talk until they got back to Melinda's apartment. With the parts of the conversation Jim heard, he was surprised to learn some details about Melinda's life. He already knew parts of Sam's life and some things he told her were lies. Jim and Melinda never took the time to share details about their lives with each other.

"I had a great time tonight." Melinda smiled.

They stood in front of her apartment. Sam tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Me too. I would really like to go out again." he inched his face closer to hers.

"I would like that, too." she whispered.

Their lips touched in a sweet kiss. They stood like that for a few minutes. Sam pulled away.

"I'll see you tomorrow." he smiled.

"Uh-huh." Melinda said in a daze.

Sam left and as soon as she made sure he was gone, Melinda squealed to herself. She walked into her apartment, all smiles.

Just as Sam rounded the corner, he ran into Jim.

"Oh hey buddy!" Sam exclaimed. "Your wife is delightful. I had a great time with her. I take it you tried to warn her about me and you failed."

"And how would you know that?" Jim asked, angrily.

"She told me about your argument from yesterday. Yeah, she opened up to me like a book. Her mind…" Sam started to walk away. "And her legs."

Jim clenched his jaw and grabbed Sam. He threw him against the wall. Jim was taught to respect women growing up, and he started to feel something for Melinda, which made it worse for Sam to screw around with her.

"Now I know you're a fucking liar." Jim said through gritted teeth. "Melinda would NEVER give herself up like that."

"And how are you so sure?" Sam smirked. "You don't know her well enough to make that assumption."

"I know enough about her to know that she's not some slut you could walk all over. She's a person and I am not gonna let you hurt her." Jim pushed him against the wall even harder. "You are not gonna get what you want. I'll make sure of it."

"Do you really think Melinda will believe you?" Sam quipped.

"I will make her believe me. I'm sure she'll care if she's being used." Jim steamed.

He let him go and walked away. Sam smiled and walked out to his car. He loved how his plan was working. Jim stormed up to his apartment which was on the same floor as Melinda's. While he laid in bed later that night, he reviewed what he learned tonight.

He learned that Melinda might be falling for Sam. He knew he had to stop that for two reasons. One, if Melinda gives him any access to the company, then there was no way Jim could save it again. He worked so hard to make it a success. The other reason was that he was seeing Melinda in a different way. He realized that he felt something for her. If he had the chance, Jim would sweep Melinda off her feet. He knew it would be hard, seeing as where they stood wasn't a good place. But he vowed to himself that he'd try.

He also learned that Sam's plan wasn't foolproof. Sam needed Melinda in order for it to work. And if Jim did his job right, the company would stay his and maybe he could win Melinda over.

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	3. You Need To Know The Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would ****definitely not be over.**

Another day of hard work at the office. Melinda was not a happy camper as she drove to work. She was actually on time today. Once she pulled up into the parking lot, she noticed Sam was there. She smiled and hopped out of the car.

"Hi!" she grinned.

"Hey." he kissed her cheek. "I thought I'd come to see you at work."

"You thought right." Melinda smiled. "Hey, do you wanna grab lunch today?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice." he smiled.

"Alright. I'll call you later." she walked away.

Sam watched her leave. And looked up at the huge building.

"Soon, this will be mine. And Jim can thank Melinda for that." he laughed.

Melinda walked down the hall to her office. The door locked, which was unusual. She searched her purse for her keys. When she unlocked the door and stepped into the room, she saw that Jim wasn't there.

"Weird." Melinda mumbled to herself.

She got settled in at her desk and checked the schedule for the day. All of sudden, Jim walked into the office.

"Oh hey." he smiled at her.

"Hi?" she was puzzled. "Is it opposite day?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're late and I'm early." she stood up from her desk and walked over to his desk. "And you're being nice."

"Well, I feel good today and I realized that I don't want to argue with you for the rest of my life." Jim said.

"Really?" Melinda was shocked that he was calling truce.

"Yeah. We need to learn to get along because I don't think I could handle hating you." he said.

"Wait, you're not looking for me to love you, are you?" she worried.

"No, maybe we can stick to being friends." he smiled.

"Okay." Melinda was confused. "What made you change?"

"I want to be friends. That's what." he smiled.

"Well my life just got so much better." Melinda grinned. "We're no longer fighting and I have a potential boyfriend."

"Oh yeah. How was your date with, uh, Sam?" Jim's smile faded.

"How did you know about my date?" she asked.

"People talk." he said.

"It was great. He's so sweet and funny. I told you that you were wrong about him." she said."I guess I was." Jim said quietly.

"I'm going to lunch with him today. I checked the schedule and it looks like a light day." Melinda said.

"You're going out with him again?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"Uh, no reason." he sighed. "Have fun."

"I'm sure I will." she smiled.

The day dragged on for Melinda. She couldn't wait for her date. But for Jim, time seemed to fly by. He didn't want her to go out with Sam. He tried to think of a plan but he came up with nothing. Before he knew it, it was noon.

"Well, I'm off to lunch." Melinda smiled as she stood up from her desk.

"Wait, Melinda." Jim stood up too.

She looked at him. He didn't know what to tell her. He couldn't just blurt out the truth.

"Never mind." he sat back down.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Have fun." he said.

"Okay." Melinda left the office.

Jim buried his face in his hands.

"What am I gonna do?" he sighed. "We didn't fight at all this morning and it was great. She's really fun to be around."

He watched out the window as Sam and Melinda got in Sam's car and drove off.

"I'm starting to like her a lot." he sighed.

Sam and Melinda arrived at a fancy restaurant in less than fifteen minutes. It was a quiet Spanish bistro.

"This is so cute." Melinda smiled.

"Isn't it? Made me think of you." Sam smiled back at her.

"Smooth." she giggled.

They were seated a minute later and handed menus.

"What looks good?" Sam asked.

"This roasted chicken does." Melinda replied.

"Alright." he closed his menu.

Sam signaled for the waitress to come over and they ordered their chicken.

"You know, Melinda. I really like you." he placed his hand on the table.

"I really like you, too." she placed her hand in his.

"I have to ask you something." he said.

"What?" she replied.

"I heard you were married to your partner. What is that about?" Sam asked, even though he knew.

"Oh, we got married for the company. We blended two companies together. Our parents thought is was a good way to bring his company back up and advance mine. His former partner did a lot of damage to his company." Melinda explained.

"Oh. And how did you feel about marrying him?" he asked.

"Well, part of me hated the idea. Jim and I never really got along. But, part of me didn't mind because sometimes we actually like each other." she took a sip of her drink.

"Oh." Sam seemed down.

"But not like that. I mean we're friends." she caught herself.

"Well that's good." he smiled. "So how come you and Jim never got along?"

"I don't know. It started off as us teasing each other but then it got into disagreements and then arguments and we would constantly get under each other's skin. It isn't always like that but most of the time it is." Melinda explained as the waitress set their food in front of them.

"Doesn't that make it hard to work with each other? The fighting, I mean." Sam asked.

"Sometimes. But like I said, it isn't always like that. We could actually be nice to each other but it doesn't last." she took a bite of her chicken. "Like yesterday, he was trying to tell me that you weren't who I thought you were. How ridiculous can he be?"

"Maybe he was jealous." Sam laughed.

"Please. Jim should not be jealous of any guy I like." Melinda said.

"Who knows? So how is your part of the company doing?" he asked, before drinking some of his soda.

"Actually, it's my parents' company. I just manage it for them. I would rather do something else." Melinda answered.

"Really? Like what?" Sam was curious.

"I wanted to be a writer, not an owner of a fashion company. I love the creativity of fashion but I would love to create different worlds in stories." she said. "Stupid, right?"

"No, of course not. Why would you say that?" he said.

"My parents thought it wasn't practical." Melinda said.

"I think you'd be a great writer." he smiled.

"Thanks." she said.

Around one thirty, Melinda was back at work going over some designs for the fall line. Jim walked into the office with his assignment and worked on his side of the room.

"Hey, Jim. Can you help me with something?" Melinda asked.

"Sure." he walked over to her.

"Okay. If you were dating a girl right now, which one would you rather see her in?" Melinda picked up to pieces of clothing. "This one…or this one?"

She set them up and Jim looked at both of them. He imagined Melinda in both outfits. He smiled at how great she looked in them.

"You would look beautiful in this one." Jim pointed to the second outfit.

"What did you just say?" she asked.

"Umm, nothing." Jim walked away.

Melinda stared at Jim for a few minutes. _Did he just say what I think he said?_ she asked herself. She shook it off since she wasn't sure. Jim was embarrassed but grateful that she didn't hear him. They barely spoke to each other for the next couple of hours. The end of the workday came and they were getting ready to leave.

"So today went really well." Melinda was packing her stuff.

"Yeah, because we weren't yelling at each other." Jim chuckled.

"And I loved it. It was the most productive day we've had." she smiled.

"Yeah, it was. You're actually pleasant to be around." he walked over to her.

"Thanks." she laughed. "You're not so bad yourself."

Melinda walked over to the door and just as she was about to open it, Jim gently grabbed her hand.

"Melinda, Sam's not who you think he is." he said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"He's just using you to get to the company. He's trying to destroy it once and for all." Jim said.

"Oh my god. I can't believe it." Melinda said to herself.

"Well believe it. It's true." he said.

"No, I can't believe how far you would go to ruin anything good in my life. Even trying to be nice to me today. All of it is just a scam. Sam is a nice guy and all you've ever done is try to make your life better than mine. Well I've got news for you. You're not gonna win!" Melinda shouted.

"Melinda, that's not true. I know we've never been good friends but you should know I would never try to hurt you like that. Sam is my ex-partner and he doesn't care what he has to do to get this company back. Please believe me." Jim pleaded.

"You're such a liar! He wouldn't do that to me! You're just jealous!" Melinda exclaimed.

"How would you know that he doesn't want to hurt you? You've only known him two days!" Jim stated.

"Because he treated me better than you have in six years!" she stormed out of the office

Jim was about to run after her but realized it was no use. He had to figure out way to make her believe him. Since that moment, he tried calling her nonstop but she ignored each call. Melinda went straight home and slumped on the couch.

"He's such a jerk. Trying to ruin my relationship with Sam. I can't believe I actually like him. Ugh! I can't stand him!" Melinda was ranting to herself.

Meanwhile, Jim was on his way to his apartment when he noticed Sam walking down the hall.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jim asked, rudely.

"Visiting my good friend. How are you?" Sam answered."What do you want?" Jim asked.

"How did your little plan go?" Sam laughed. "Oh, wait. I know how it went. Melinda is still running to me like a sad little puppy. You failed again. You should just stop trying. You're never gonna win. You're just a loser."

Just then, Melinda was coming out of her apartment to take her trash out to the dumpster. Before she turned the corner, she heard voices. She recognized them so she stayed out of sight and listened to the conversation.

"Melinda is a human being. You can't just toy with her emotions. She's too good to be messed with." Jim said.

"Aww, does little Jimmy have a crush on Melinda?" Sam mocked him.

"Just leave her alone!" Jim exclaimed, his voice full of concern for Melinda.

"Don't raise your voice at me! Remember who you're fucking talking to!" Sam got up in Jim's face. "I destroyed this company once. And I will do it again…with the help of your precious Melinda. I will bend her until she breaks and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. She doesn't believe a word you say. She is just as stupid as you were to believe I was ever on your side."

Melinda was hurt to hear everything Sam said. She really was stupid for believing him over Jim. He was telling the truth after all. Suddenly, she heard a thudding sound. She peered around the corner to see Jim pinning Sam against the wall. His hands fisted Sam's shirt.

"You can call me names and talk shit about me. But don't you EVER say anything about Melinda. DO YOU HEAR ME!" Jim clenched his jaw.

"Since when did you become Melinda's boyfriend? Last I remember, she was my bitch." Sam said in a calm voice with a sly smile.

Jim's fist collided with Sam's jaw. Sam fell limp on the ground as Jim let him go.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Jim exclaimed.

Sam walked over to the elevator and left. Jim took in a deep breath and flexed his hand. He winced at the pain and proceeded to his apartment. Melinda ran back into her apartment so Jim wouldn't know that she was eavesdropping. Melinda's heart sunk with every word Sam said, but it rose with every word Jim spoke. This was a side of him she has never seen before. She felt a sudden tingle to know that Jim felt something for her. Since everything Jim said about Sam was true, she knew she had to apologize to him.

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	4. Secrets & Fantasies

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would ****definitely not be over.**

Melinda avoided Jim the rest of the day. She felt he needed some space for a little bit. While trying to sort out her feelings, she forgot to set her alarm for the next morning to wake up for work. The next morning, Melinda slept peacefully until ten thirty.

Her eyes opened to the sunlight streaming through the curtains.

"It's bright for seven." she sat up in bed and looked at her alarm clock. "Oh no! it's late! I'm late!"

Melinda jumped out of her bed and into the shower. She rushed to get ready for work. While grabbing her coat, purse, and keys, she slipped on her shoes and hopped over to the door. When Melinda opened the door, Sam was about to knock.

"Hi." he smiled.

"Get out of my way." she said rudely, pushing him away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"You're what's wrong. I know all about what you want and I am not a toy you can just play with." she said, coldly.

"What are you talking about?" Sam played dumb.

"Don't be stupid. I heard you and Jim in the hallway yesterday. You practically blurted out your plan and called me names. I'm nothing but a pawn in your game. Anything I felt for you is gone. And you can forget about getting the company." Melinda walked away.

Sam was left standing in the hall dumbfounded. He had to come up with a new plan and fast.

Melinda ran to the elevator and stepped in right before it closed. She took in a deep breath and waited for it to stop on the top floor. Rushing down the hall to her office, Melinda hoped Jim wouldn't still be upset over the fight they got into yesterday. When she opened the door, she saw Jim working on another design for the fall collection.

"Jim." she said as she went to set her stuff down. "I'm incredibly sorry for being really late."

Jim didn't say anything. Melinda walked over to him.

"Are you not talking to me?" she asked, sadly.

"I don't want to get yelled at." he said quietly as he continued to work.

Melinda stopped him from working and he looked up at her. She could see in his eyes how sad he was.

"I'm not gonna yell at you. I need to talk to you." she said.

"So talk." Jim sat down and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I saw you and Sam in the hallway yesterday." she said.

Jim's eyes widened. Apparently, he was not expecting her to hear any of that. He opened his mouth to speak, but Melinda stopped him.

"I heard about Sam's intentions and I hate myself for ever liking him. I just saw his kindness and that was all I needed. I should have believed you but with our history I wasn't sure if you were just trying to ruin something good for me. But I'm done with him and I'm sorry." Melinda hoped he would forgive her.

"I know we weren't the best of friends, but was it so hard to believe me?" Jim asked.

"I don't know. I didn't know what to believe, but I believe everything you said." she sat on the table in front of her.

"What did you do to Sam?" he asked.

"I kicked him to the curb. No one treats me like that. Well, except you." Melinda smiled.

"Hey, I would never use you." Jim stood up.

"Good." it was quiet, until she spoke again. "So, were you jealous of Sam?"

"No!" he lied, but Melinda wasn't convinced. "Fine, maybe a little."

"Yeah, I also heard that in the hallway. I saw how you punched him for saying I was stupid and calling me his bitch. Only someone who liked me would do that." she smiled.

"He went too far with that shit." Jim started to get angry.

"Hey, calm down." she scooted closer to him. "Nothing he said was true."

"Are you sure?" he asked."I promise." Melinda nodded.

"Good. Because I was freaking out. I never noticed it until now. How much I like you, I mean. I was only being an ass to you because you were an ass to me." Jim smiled a crooked smile.

"I never noticed how much I liked you, either. I mean I always felt something but I suppressed it because you were being an ass to me. That's why I acted the way I did." she said.

"Wow, now just imagine if we actually admitted this to each other earlier. Do you know how much time we spent arguing that we could have spent getting along?" he shook his head.

"Well, all that's in the past. I would really like start over." Melinda said.

"Me too. So starting now, we are two different people than what we used to be." Jim held his hand out to her.

"Deal." she smiled and shook his hand.

Silence fell over them as they stared at each other. Their fingers laced together while their faces came closer to each other. As soon as their lips met, an electric shock went through them. Neither one could pull away. The feeling was so amazing, they wanted it to last. A few minutes later, they broke apart.

"Whoa. Never expected to do that." Melinda said.

"Me neither. But, I liked it a lot." Jim smiled.

"Me too." she smiled, then kissed him again.

They shared a few pecks then a passionate kiss. Both pairs of arms wove around each other, the two of them getting lost in the kiss.

"I'm sorry I was extremely late today." Melinda said at the end of the workday.

"Don't worry about it. I completely forgot about it." he smiled as he collected his stuff.

"Hmm. No scolding. I like this new Jim." she smiled as they walked to the door.

"I could be a jerk if you want." he leaned against the door.

"Please, I've had six years of it. I want the nice guy I met this morning." Melinda said.

"Mr. Nice at your service." Jim smiled and pulled her against him.

"How long do I have your services?" she narrowed her eyes.

"As long as you want, baby." he kissed her. "Wow, it feels good to call you that and not get yelled at."

"Things are different now." she kissed him and gently pushed him out of the way.

Before she could open the door, Jim pushed her against the door and kissed her passionately.

"You don't know how much I love doing that." he smiled.

"Oh, I think I do." she winked at him and opened the door.

"Mrs. Gordon, someone sent something for you." Stephanie walked up to her and handed her a package.

"Oh, thanks." she took the package from her.

"Who's it from?" Jim asked.

"Don't know." Melinda walked over to her desk and set her stuff down.

She unwrapped the package and found short-stemmed roses.

"Oh no." she mumbled and grabbed the card in the box.

_Melinda,_

_You've got it all wrong. Please believe me. Jim made me say things that weren't true. I would never hurt you. Can we meet and talk? Please?_

_Sam_

"Are these from who I think they are." Jim clenched his jaw.

Melinda nodded faintly. Jim took the card from her and read it. She could see the anger grow in him with each word he read. He looked up at her and instantly his anger melted into worry.

"You don't believe him, do you?" he asked.

"No, of course not. I've known you longer. I believe you." she reassured him.

"He won't quit until this company is his." he said angrily.

"Why is it so important to him?" she asked.

"I don't know. If I did, I probably could have stopped him already." Jim ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, lets not worry about this today. Lets just go home and relax, okay. Just hang out for a while." Melinda grabbed her stuff.

"What if he comes to talk to you?" he asked.

"I'll have you to protect me." Melinda said.

"Alright. Come on." Jim took her hand.

She threw the roses in the trash and followed Jim out of the office. Everyone was already gone so they locked up the building and went home. They decided to hang out at Jim's apartment.

"Should we tell anyone that we're a couple?" Jim asked.

"Why shouldn't we?" Melinda asked.

"I don't know. If you don't want to then we can keep it a secret." he said.

"Why wouldn't I want anyone to know that you're mine? Sure would keep all the girls at the company off you." she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What girls?" he smiled.

"All the girls at work always talk about how sexy you are and what they would do to you if they had you." she said.

"What would they do to me?" Jim wanted to know.

"I can't tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy." she smiled.

"Oh, really?" he laughed. "You can't even tell me one thing?"

Melinda thought for a minute. She grinned.

"Well, one of the girls said that they would ride you until you were broken and they would spank you and a lot of other stuff." she smiled.

"Who said that?" Jim laughed.

"I can't tell you." she said.

"Come on. I won't say anything." he pleaded.

"I did." she mumbled.

"What?" he thought he heard wrong.

"I did. I thought of intense things when I wasn't mad at you." she blushed.

He became quiet for a second.

"I bet I made you uncomfortable, didn't I?" she said.

"Wow, so I'm not the only one." he said to himself.

"Huh?" Melinda was confused.

"I thought of some intense things, too. Boy, did those fantasies have me wanting the real thing. But, of course, I couldn't because we weren't there." he explained.

"You thought of you and me? Together like that?" she blushed again.

"Yeah, pretty much all the time. Even when we fought. I imagined how we would make up. It was all just a fantasy, though." Jim said. "Is that weird?"

Melinda pulled him to her and kissed him passionately.

"I guess it's not." he said after they pulled away.

"Describe one of your fantasies to me?" Melinda was curious.

"No, you'll think I'm a freak." he shook his head.

"Please. I want to know." she pleaded.

"You promise you won't laugh or anything?" he asked.

"I promise." she smiled.

"Okay. Well, there are a lot. Which one do you want to hear?" he asked.

"Umm… What kind of stuff do you fantasize about?" she asked.

Jim thought for a minute. He grinned at something he thought about. Melinda smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Jim, just tell me any one. I don't care." she was eager to hear one.

"Okay okay. Well, we just had a huge fight and we weren't talk to each other. I was mad at you for something and later that day, I was doing work at my desk. I started imagining what could have happened. I imagined that you came into the office and locked the door. You came over to my desk and moved my work aside. You sat on top of my desk with your legs spread in front of me. You said you were sorry and then started pulling off my shirt. I wasn't going to argue. I undressed you as you undressed me while we made out and we started having dirty desk sex." Jim explained his fantasy. "If I go any further in depth, I'll tent my pants even higher."

Melinda looked down at the bulge in his pants and blushed.

"Well, that's some fantasy you got there." she smiled.

"What about you?" he looked at her.

"Whoops, look at the time!" Melinda looked at the imaginary watch around her wrist. "It's getting late. I really should get home."

She got up and was about to leave when Jim pulled her down on his lap.

"Nope, I told you one, now you have to tell me one." he said.

"No. I can't. You'll laugh at me." she said.

"I won't laugh. Come on. I'm anxious to hear what you think about me." he smiled.

"You should already know what I think about you." she turned around in his lap.

"I have a slight idea. Confirm my assumptions." he said.

"Okay." she straddled his lap and kissed him passionately.

They spent the rest of the evening making out and feeling each other up. Jim walked Melinda to her apartment, calling it a night.

"I'll see you tomorrow." she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, babe." he kissed her sweetly.

"I'm your babe." she giggled.

"Yup. Always." he smiled.

"Forever." she nodded.

He leaned down and kissed her passionately.

"Well, isn't this nice." Sam walked towards them.

"What the hell do you want?" Melinda asked.

"Well, first I wanted the company. I want to destroy Jim. But now I realized the company isn't enough. Now, I think I'll take you." Sam grinned.

Jim instantly pulled Melinda behind him. She clutched to his arm.

"You stay the hell away from her!" Jim yelled.

"Oh, what's the matter? Haven't you ever heard of sharing?" Sam asked. "Besides, you know she would much rather be with me."

"That's a lie! I hate you!" Melinda exclaimed.

"You don't talk to me like that you bitch!" Sam yelled.

"DON'T FUCKING TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!" Jim tensed up.

"Melinda, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." Sam apologized and held out his hand. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Are you out of your mind? I'm not going anywhere with you." she held onto Jim tighter.

"Get the hell out of here. NOW!" Jim growled.

Sam stared at Melinda for a second before walking away. As soon as he was out of sight, Jim turned to Melinda and swept her up in a hug.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm scared." she whispered.

"Don't be. He won't even get close enough to try and hurt you." he soothed her. "I'll protect you."

She nodded against his chest. Melinda pulled Jim into her apartment and had him hold her until she fell asleep. They were lying on the couch for a while. Jim left her to sleep peacefully as he laid on the floor and fell asleep himself.

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	5. I'll Always Be Here

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would definitely not be over.**

The next morning came rather quickly. Melinda opened her eyes to see her living room. She sat up and looked around, trying to figure out what happened the day before. She saw something moving on the floor. She jumped when she saw it was a person. Melinda sighed in relief when she realized Jim was sleeping on the floor. Climbing onto the floor, she wrapped herself in Jim's arms. He still slept peacefully. She smiled and cuddled against him.

An hour later, Jim woke up and found Melinda sleeping in his arms. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Melinda woke up to Jim holding her tighter.

"Why are you on the floor?" Melinda mumbled.

"Why are you?" Jim chuckled.

"I want to be in your arms." she yawned.

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"Unfamiliar." she said.

"Is it bad?" Jim worried.

"No. It feels safe. I like it." Melinda snuggled closer to him.

"Good." he smiled and kissed her head.

"I find it so funny how fast we got comfortable with each other." she smiled.

"I do, too. But I would rather have it this way than have to wait weeks or even months. It wasn't like we were strangers. We just fought a lot." Jim chuckled.

"That didn't happen, remember?" she looked up at him.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." he kissed her softly.

"So we have no work today since it's Saturday. What do you want to do?" she asked.

"I don't know. Whatever you want to do is fine with me." he said.

Melinda thought for a minute.

"Well, I was going to spend my day in the kitchen experimenting. I don't know if you wanna join me but I think it would be fun." she replied.

"Sounds like fun. Ooh, we can have a cooking competition." he chuckled.

"Uh, no. I know you're like a master chef." she smiled.

"Exactly why we should do it." he said.

"Nope." she got off the floor. "I'm gonna go take a shower and stuff."

"Okay. I'll do the same." Jim got up, too.

"See you in a few." she kissed him before he left to go to his apartment.

Half an hour later, Jim returned to Melinda's place and knocked on the door. She opened it and Jim's eyes popped out of his head. She was wearing a short black dress that barely covered her body with black stilettos and her hair fell in messy waves. Melinda smiled.

"Do you always cook in that kind of clothes?" Jim couldn't take his eyes off her body.

"Only when I have hot guys over." she smirked.

"And how many times do you have hot guys over?" he narrowed his eyes, getting jealous.

"You'll never know." she took his hand and pulled him into her apartment.

"Well, I don't know why you're dressed like that now. There are no hot guys here." Jim looked around, stupidly.

"Okay, then. I'll go change." she started walking away.

"No." he pulled her close to him.

"Do you think you're hot?" she asked.

"Yes.' he rolled his eyes.

"Good. Because you are." she kissed him.

Jim trailed his hands down her sides and all over her back as they kissed. Melinda's hands were exploring Jim's chest and shoulders. She moaned as his hands slipped into one of the openings in her dress.

"You…drive…me…crazy." Jim mumbled as he trailed kisses down to her neck.

"Jim." Melinda moaned and gripped onto his hair.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped onto him. Jim wrapped his arms around her back and braced her against the wall. He kissed her on the lips again and their tongues played with each other in Melinda's mouth. They continued to make out for a while. Melinda's hands went up Jim's shirt, feeling around. Jim pulled away.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this." he breathed.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I don't want you to regret this later. I want you to really want it." Jim set her on her feet.

"Jim, I won't regret it. I want you." she wrapped her arms around his neck again and kissed him passionately.

Jim didn't pull away. They made out heavily as Melinda slipped her hands into his shirt.

"No, Melinda. I don't think this is a good idea." Jim pulled her hands out of his shirt.

"Oh, I get it." she said sadly.

"No, it's not what you think." he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"No, it is. I understand. I shouldn't have thrown myself at you." Melinda started to walk away.

Jim pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. He lifted her up and wrapped her legs around himself. Melinda pulled away.

"Just stop. Don't force yourself." a tear fell from her eye, but she kept her arms around his neck.

She was hurt that he didn't want her the way she wanted him.

"Melinda. I want you. I've always wanted you. But I wanted you to fall in love with me first. So then I know you are really ready to give yourself to me." Jim explained.

"Jim." Melinda caressed his face with her hands and looked into his eyes. "I'm already in love with you."

"Really?" he was stunned.

"Yes. I knew the feeling was always there. But how could I say it if you didn't feel the same way. I was afraid you'd run away." she said.

Jim responded by kissing her. Melinda kissed him back."Well, at least I know I didn't scare you away." she smiled.

"And you should know that I love you, too." he smiled.

"Prove it." she kissed him again.

Jim moved his hands down to the bottom of her ass and pulled her dress up. He carried her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Melinda immediately pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor. Jim pulled off her dress and kissed all over her neck. She pulled his pants down, leaving him only in his boxers. She looked at him as his chest moved up and down, trying to slow his breathing.

"God, Jim. You're so freaking hot." Melinda said as one of her hands ran over his chest and the other one made its way to her panties.

Jim smiled as he saw her trying to finger herself. He moved her hand away and took off her bra. Next, he pulled off her panties and held them up to his face, taking in the smell of her love juices. He looked over her naked body and licked his lips.

"I'm gonna love this." Jim smirked and bent down to kiss her stomach.

He worked his way up to her breasts, kissing each one gently. Then, rubbed her between her legs.

"Please, don't tease me." Melinda pleaded.

"Sorry, babe. But it's too damn good to see you like this." Jim started rubbing her harder.

Melinda closed her eyes and bit her lip. She let out a moan, grabbing the sheets, and arching her back off the bed. Jim could see she was coming close, so he stopped what he was doing.

"No, don't stop." she moaned.

Jim pulled his boxers off. Melinda's eyes widened at his special spot. Jim kissed her passionately as he rubbed himself against her. Melinda pushed him off of her and climbed on top of him. Jim grabbed onto her hips and looked at her for permission. She nodded and he gently thrust into her. Melinda let out a moan and closed her eyes.

Ten minutes later, Jim and Melinda laid in bed staring at the ceiling. Both of them were breathing heavily.

"Wow." Jim breathed. "That was…amazing."

"Yeah, it was. Most unbelievable thing I've ever experienced." Melinda replied.

"You can say that again." he smiled.

"Best experimenting I've ever done." she chuckled.

"Yup." he laughed.

Melinda snuggled under his arm and rested her head on his chest. She breathed in the scent of his skin and smiled. Jim kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. They stayed like that for a while. They talked about their lives, letting the other in on practically everything. They opened up everything about themselves to each other. It went on for hours.

"Alright. I'm getting hungry. What about you?" Melinda got up from bed.

"Yeah, I could go for some food." Jim got up, too.

He pulled on his boxers and his jeans as Melinda got dressed. He looked around, trying to find his shirt but had no luck.

"Mel, do you know where my…" Jim stopped when he realized Melinda was wearing it. "…shirt is. Damn, you look beautiful."

"Thank you." she blushed as they walked out into the kitchen.

"Do you just wanna order take out? I'm too hungry to actually cook something." Melinda said.

"Sure." he smiled.

They ordered Chinese and ate in the living room while watching TV. After lunch, Jim went to take a nap while Melinda relaxed by herself. She was in the bedroom watching Jim sleep, when her phone started ringing. She quickly got out of the room to answer it.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, is it okay if I come over today?" Andrea asked.

"Uh, yeah." Melinda replied.

"You sure? Are you doing anything?" Andrea wanted to make sure.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm not doing anything." Melinda said.

"Okay. See you later." Andrea hung up.

Melinda walked back into her bedroom and went to get ready for when her friend came over. An hour later, she was dressed. Jim was still asleep when a knock was heard at the door. Melinda opened the door expecting Andrea, but it turned out to be all of her girl friends.

"Andrea! I thought it was only you." Melinda said.

"Well, it was supposed to be but then I thought we should have a little party." Andrea replied, lifting a big bottle of champagne.

"Yeah, come on Melly. We haven't seen you in a while and we just wanted to hang out for a while." Holly smiled.

"Okay." Melinda smiled and grabbed champagne glasses for everyone.

The girls started chatting about everyday life. However, Melinda kept her love life a secret. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary. She wasn't sure how to bring up the fact that she was with Jim, since the last time they talked Sam was in the picture. That would involve a lot of explaining and she wasn't up for it at that moment.

All of sudden, Jim walked out of Melinda's bedroom.

"Mel, what's all the-" Jim stopped when he noticed the room full of girls.

"Whoa." Delia's eyes widened.

Everyone gasped. Jim didn't notice he was still shirtless.

"Melinda, you wanna tell us something?" Andrea looked at her.

"Uh, no." Melinda got up and pushed Jim back into her room.

"Why did you come outside?" Melinda asked him.

"I heard noises. I wanted to know what was going on out there." he said.

"Great." she mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Jim asked. "Are you trying to keep us a secret?"

"No. No, of course not. I just didn't want to explain everything today." Melinda sighed.

"Well, then don't." Jim wrapped his arms around her.

"They won't let it go." Melinda leaned into him. "I have to tell them."

"I'm sorry for going out there." he said.

"No, it's okay. I think they were shocked at how hot you look shirtless." she giggled.

"Haha. Go tend to your friends while I go back to sleep." Jim planted a kiss on her lips and jumped back into bed.

Melinda laughed and went back into the living room. Her friends were waiting for answers. Melinda played it off and acted like nothing happened.

"So, where were we? Oh right, Melissa, you said something about Kyle." Melinda sipped her champagne.

"No, no, no." Vanessa quipped. "Melissa can wait. Right now, we wanna know what the hell Jim is doing in your bedroom. Shirtless."

"He's sleeping. His apartment is being renovated and he needed a place to crash." Melinda said.

"Really?" Hayden asked, everyone was unconvinced.

"Yeah. I've been sleeping out here while he was in there. We may not be good friends, but I wouldn't settle him with the couch." Melinda was making it up as she went.

"Why would he stay here of all the places he could go?" Andrea asked.

"He wanted to stay close to his apartment to keep an eye on it." Melinda answered.

They all were quiet for a minute. They saw no reason to believe Melinda was lying. Everything seemed legit. After a few more hours of catching up, the girls went home. However, Andrea stayed behind.

"Alright. A good friend would not question you, but a great friend would get straight to the bottom." Andrea said as they cleaned up.

"The bottom of what?" Melinda asked, even though she knew.

"Seriously, Melinda? That whole apartment renovation story is just crap." Andrea said. "I'm your best friend. Don't you think I deserve to know?"

"Fine. Jim and I are together. Sam turned out to be a liar and a complete psychopath. Jim defended my honor and revealed that he liked me, well love me." Melinda summed up the situation.

"Wow, you're life must be so interesting." Andrea sat down on the couch after they finished cleaning up.

"Not entirely. I feel tons of guilt over the way I treated Jim the past six years and Sam is getting crazier by the minute." Melinda sighed.

"Okay, I have questions. First, what happened with Sam?" Andrea asked.

"He only went out with me to get the company and destroy it. He said that he wanted to destroy Jim and since I mean more than the company to Jim, Sam wants to take me instead." Melinda said.

"Whoa. What are you gonna do?" Andrea worried.

"I don't know. I'm scared out of my mind. But, we're gonna get through this. I don't know what he's planning, so I have to be extra careful now." Melinda said.

"Are you sure your safe?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah, Jim is like my bodyguard." Melinda smiled.

"Ooh, getting down with the bodyguard. Naughty." Andrea joked.

"Oh, yes." Melinda laughed.

"Well, as long as your protected, that's all that really matters." Andrea had concern written all over her face.

Melinda could tell how scared her friend was for her.

"Hey, I'll be okay." Melinda touched her hand.

"I know." Andrea smiled.

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	6. You&Me

**Sorry for making you guys wait. My apologies. Here's Chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would definitely not be over.**

After Andrea left, Melinda went into her bedroom to find Jim still sleeping. She smiled at how adorable he looked. She walked into the kitchen to start cooking dinner. An hour had passed, and she finished making dinner. Jim woke up and searched for her.

"Hey." he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi." she hugged him. "Dinner's ready."

"Okay. Just let me go put my shirt on." he went to get his shirt.

They ate their dinner and decided to watch a movie. Not long into the movie, they heard the doorbell ring. Melinda went to answer it. When she opened the door, no one was there. She looked around and found a box of chocolates sitting on the floor.

"You gotta be kidding me." she mumbled and reached for the box.

Melinda opened it and instead of pieces of chocolate, their were pairs of earrings in each section. By the looks of it, they were expensive. Attached to the inside of the lid, was a note.

_Melinda,_

_You know you're making a mistake. I'm the one you should be with. Jim doesn't deserve you. He doesn't really like you. Be my girl._

_Sam_

"Son of a bitch!" Melinda accidentally shouted, as she stood up.

"What?" Jim came up behind her. "Are you serious?"

"He's really starting to creep me out." Melinda said.

Jim took the box from her and read the note. He didn't say anything, but she could see the anger on his face. He went out into the hallway and to the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Melinda grabbed her keys and shut the door behind her as she followed him.

Jim walked out to the front of the building and threw the box to the ground. He smashed it a few times with his foot and then looked at her.

"I'm sorry. But, I couldn't do that to him right now." he said.

"No, don't be. That was hot." she smiled.

She walked into his embrace and kissed him.

"I don't believe anything he says." she said as they walked back up to her apartment.

"Good, 'cause none of it is true. Well, except the part about me liking you." Jim said.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't like you." he looked at her and could see the hurt on her face.

"But-" she started to say.

"I love you, Mel." he said.

"Jim, you scared me!" she put a hand over her chest. "You always gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry." he chuckled.

They got to Melinda's apartment.

"Why don't we spend the night at my place tonight?" Jim asked.

"Okay, but is your bedroom as clean as your living room?" she smiled.

"Only one way to find out." he smiled back.

"Or you can just tell me." she said.

"Nope. Only way you'll know is if you spend the night." he said.

"Then I guess I'll never know." she joked.

"Oh, okay. So I'll just invite Stephanie over. I'm sure she'll love it." Jim joked.

Melinda looked at him with an angry face. He knew she was jealous and thought it was funny.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked.

"Nope. She'll get to play on my memory foam bed." Jim started to walk to the door. "With me."

Jim was dying inside. He tried his best not to laugh at how pissed Melinda was.

"Oh really?" she said, angrily. "Well, I guess I'll call up Sam and have him keep me company. I'm sure he'll have fun with me here."

Jim's face fell. The mention of his name made his blood run cold. He knew she didn't mean it, but it still pissed him off to think about it. He walked over to her and pointed a finger at her.

"You take that back." he steamed.

"You take it back!" she shot back.

"I was only kidding." he said.

"Well, so was I!" she got in his face.

Jim pulled her up to his level and looked her in the eyes.

"You really shouldn't have done that." he said, then threw her over her shoulder.

"Jim!" she squealed. "Put me down!"

"Nope!" he slapped her ass.

"Hey!" she kicked her legs.

"Tonight you're sleeping in my bed." he walked out of her apartment and locked it, since Melinda had her keys.

"Put me down!" she laughed.

Jim didn't listen and walked down the hall to his apartment. He went into his bedroom and threw Melinda onto his bed. She expected to bounce back up but didn't.

"Oh, this feels great." she closed her eyes and smiled as she laid on his bed.

"Memory foam is like heaven, isn't it?" Jim smiled as he watched her.

"Mmm-hmm." she nodded. "It's like floating on a cloud."

"Yeah. You think Stephanie will like it?" he smiled.

Melinda opened her eyes and knelt up on the bed to face him.

"You really wanna go there again?" she asked.

"It's so cute when you get jealous." he stood by the end of the bed.

"It's hot when you get jealous. Should I make you jealous?" she asked.

"You can try. I could care less about you and whoever else you're with." he crossed his arms.

"Okay. So, I'll go hang out with Sam. I'll bet he has a memory foam bed." she got off the bed and walked out of his room.

Before she made it to the door, Jim caught her by the waist and spun her around. She let out a little scream and laughed.

"What is with you and lifting me up?" she asked as he carried her back to his bedroom.

"It's the only way for me to get you where I want you." he said and plopped her on the bed again.

"And where is it that you want me?" Melinda asked with a smirk.

Jim jumped onto the bed and got on top of her. Their faces were just inches apart. Melinda wrapped her arms around him. He smiled and kissed her passionately.

"I like this position." she giggled.

He shook his head and laughed. They continued to make out. A while later, Jim and Melinda laid in each other's arms and tried to control their breathing.

"Always gets better." Jim breathed.

"Tell me about it." Melinda smiled.

"You will never know how much all this means to me." he looked at her.

"I know how much it means to you. Because, I feel it. You are everything I never thought was possible. I never thought I could love you, and yet here I am, in your arms." Melinda said.

"I love you. I hope you know that and will always remember it." he said.

"I know. I love you, too." she smiled, but it slowly faded.

She turned her head and stared up at the ceiling.

"Jim, maybe what you feel isn't a good thing." she sighed.

"What are you talking about? This is the greatest feeling I've ever felt in my life." he said.

"But that's the very same feeling that Sam will act on." Melinda sat up. "If his plan works, whatever it is-"

"No, don't say that." Jim sat up and took her face in his hands. "He will NEVER take you away from me. I won't let him."

Melinda looked into his eyes. She could see a thin coat of water forming in them. She smiled and nodded, tears forming in her own eyes.

Soon after, Jim was lying in his bed sleeping peacefully. Melinda was wrapped tightly, but comfortably, in his arms. She watched him sleep, one of her favorite things to do. She thought of the many things Sam could do to her. Or even Jim. She stopped breathing when she thought about Jim being hurt. Melinda shook those thoughts from her head and thought about ways she could get rid of Sam. In the midst of her thoughts, she felt Jim move against her. He laid on his side, facing her with his eyes still closed. Melinda continued to stare at the ceiling as Jim got comfortable again. Suddenly, she felt his hand running up and down her leg and his lips against her neck. She felt him gently sucking on her skin.

"Jim…" she moaned. "What are you doing?"

He continued what he was doing. His hand ran across her stomach as he bit down on her neck. Melinda let out a pleasurable moan. Jim turned onto his other side and pretended like nothing happened. She sat up on her elbows and stared at him in confusion.

"What was that?" she asked.

"A way for you to relax." he said, not looking at her.

"Why would you think I'm not relaxed?" she asked.

Jim turned around and looked at her baffled face. He ran his hand up and down her arm in a comforting way.

"I could feel how tense you were just now." he said. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just thinking." she said, as she laid back down.

"Are you sure?" he asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah." Melinda laid back down.

Jim stared at her. Melinda closed her eyes and relaxed. He didn't know if he should believe her or not. He shook the feeling away and cuddled up with her.

A few days have passed and the couple saw no sign of Sam. They decided to relax a little, but in the back of their minds, they knew they haven't seen the last of Sam.

"Jim! Can you bring me a towel!" Melinda called from the shower.

Jim and Melinda have been living in both apartments back and forth. One night they would be at Jim's then the next, they were at Melinda's. Tonight, it was her apartment and Jim was watching TV when he heard Melinda call for him.

"Coming!" he called back.

Jim walked into the bathroom and went to the closet, which had the towels.

"You made me come all the way in here to give you a towel when you were two feet away from it?" Jim asked, pulling out a towel for her.

"I didn't want to wet the floor." she opened the shower door and exposed her body.

Jim turned around to hand her the towel and saw her naked. He smiled, licking his lips.

"Ooh, baby. You look so good." he said staring at her.

"Take it easy." Melinda grinned, wrapping herself in the towel."Hey, I was enjoying that." Jim referred to her body.

"Too bad." she giggled and ran into her bedroom.

Jim chased after her and grabbed her by the waist. She squealed and try to get away from him. In the middle of it all, Melinda's phone rang. She tried to get it but Jim wouldn't let her go.

"Jim! Let me answer it!" she laughed.

"If you must." he sighed and let her get it.

"Hello?" she said, the caller ID came up unknown.

Jim still had his arms around her waist and started kissing the back of her neck.

"Hey, Melinda." the voice said.

"Hey, Kyle." she said.

Jim stopped what he was doing and turned Melinda to face him.

"Who's Kyle?" he mouthed.

Melinda smiled at him, knowing he was jealous.

"Hey, just giving a heads up that Melissa and I are throwing a huge party. You coming?" Kyle said.

"A party?" Melinda stared at Jim. "Yeah, I'm coming."

"Cool. Melissa said you're dating someone. Are you bringing him?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, I am." she smiled.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later. Bye." he said.

"Yes, you will. Bye." she hung up the phone.

"Who's Kyle?" Jim asked.

"Just this guy." she walked away from him.

"What did he want?" he pulled her against him.

"He asked me if I was coming to his party and I said yes. Then, he asked if I was going alone, and I said yes." she teased him. "Then he said he was going to see me later."

"Alone? Okay." Jim looked hurt and jealous.

"Yeah, I think showing up at his party with you would just ruin my chances." Melinda was laughing inside.

"What chances?" he asked.

"Of hooking up." she said.

"Oh really?" Jim got angry.

Melinda busted out laughing. She loved making him jealous.

"I'm just kidding. Come with me." she said.

"You're cruel. Making me think you were done with me." he said.

"Baby, you're mine." she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I wanna show you off to everyone."

"I'll think about it." he started walking away.

Melinda jumped onto his back and started kissing his neck.

"Did you think about it?" she asked.

"That's not fair." he groaned.

"Are you coming?" she continued to kiss him.

"Yes, yes. I'm coming. Now please stop." he pulled her off his back.

Jim gently pushed her onto the bed and got on top of her.

"Now, lets see what's under this towel." he trailed his hand slowly down her body, then pulled the towel off.

Melinda giggled and started undressing him as they made out.

**Review!**


	7. Love Or Just An Alibi

**Another update! Lucky you! Lol, please enjoy..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would definitely not be over.**

A week has passed. Jim and Melinda have been working long hours at the office. The damage that Sam had caused was almost repaired. The last meeting of the day had just ended and Jim trudged back to his office. Slumping into his chair, he let out a sigh.

"I'm sick of this." Jim said.

Melinda was still in the conference room having a one on one with a client. Ten minutes later, she walked into their office to find Jim asleep at his desk. Melinda smiled to herself. She made her way to her own desk and logged onto her computer. An e-mail popped up with an unfamiliar e-mail address. Melinda's eyebrows furrowed as she opened the e-mail.

"Oh my god!" Melinda gasped.

What she saw on her computer screen shocked her. There were a dozen pictures of Sam, naked pictures. She started deleting them as Jim woke up.

"Mel. I'm trying to sleep." he raised his head.

"I'm sorry. Go back to sleep." she furiously clicked on her mouse trying to delete the contents as quickly as she could.

"What's wrong?" he stood up from his desk.

"Nothing! You just sit back down and sleep." she was still in shock.

"Actually, I'm ready to go home." he started grabbing his stuff.

Melinda didn't want Jim to see what she saw. He started walking over to her desk as she was clicking. Luckily, she deleted the last picture before Jim reached her.

"You ready?" he asked.

Melinda got up quickly and pulled Jim to her. She kissed him passionately for a while.

"What was that for?" he asked stunned.

"I love you… and only you." she said, then grabbed her stuff and led Jim out of the office.

It was Melinda's turn to share her apartment, so when she opened her door, she turned to Jim and pulled him into a kiss by his tie, pulling him into her apartment.

The couple engaged in a hot make-out session on the couch. Melinda was lying on her back with Jim on top of her.

"Uh, Jim." Melinda broke off from the kiss.

"Yeah?" he said breathlessly.

"Can we maybe, just lay here? Together?" she asked, shyly.

"Of course." he was a bit confused as to why she was acting strange, but he laid down next to her and pulled her close.

Melinda clung to him for dear life. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and it was hard to ignore. Soon enough, she had fallen asleep in Jim's arms. Jim decided to start making dinner while Melinda slept peacefully on the couch. He gently got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. He settled on making a salad, baked chicken, and ice-cream for dessert.

Meanwhile in the living room, Melinda slumbered, dreaming peacefully.

_***Dream***_

_Jim and Melinda were in her apartment enjoying a night in together. They were eating dinner and drinking some wine. Jim had his feet on top of the coffee table, resting against the back of the couch. Melinda had her legs across Jim's lap with her back against the arm rest. Jim was slowly caressing her legs as they talked. Melinda moved closer to him and kissed him. Something suddenly felt off. She pulled away and gasped in shock. Melinda tried to move away, but he pulled her back against him._

"_What's the matter, Melinda?" he asked. "You seem scared."_

"_Of course I'm scared! What the hell are you doing here?" she asked._

"_You want me. You know you do." he smiled._

"_The hell I do!" she broke free from him and stepped back._

"_You know you're making a huge mistake." he said. "I'm the one you should be with."_

"_I DON'T want you, Sam! What part of that don't you understand?" Melinda shouted._

"_Jim doesn't love you." Sam ignored her. "He's trying to fool me, distract me from the company."_

"_Jim does love me." she said._

"_He wants me to believe that you're the most important thing in his life. That way, I would just take you and his precious company would be fine." Sam replied moving closer to her._

"_That's not true! Jim would never use me!" Melinda screamed, tears forming in her eyes._

"_You sure about that?" Sam was right in front of her. "Think about it. Jim loves his company more than anything. Suddenly, he is in love with you? After six years of fighting? When I come back to town to ruin his company? Come on now. Even you're smart enough not to fall for that."_

_Melinda started to think about it. What Sam was saying did make sense. As soon as he came back to town, Jim had turned his attention to her, after years of hating each other. Maybe she _was_ just a ploy to save his company._

_Before Melinda could say anything else, Sam kissed her. It wasn't just a chaste kiss, it was a passionate one. She didn't know why, but she continued to kiss him. Sam gently pushed her against the wall, and Melinda didn't protest._

Melinda woke with a jolt. She sat up on the couch.

"What the hell kind of dream was that?" she asked herself.

She looked around the room in search of Jim. He was no where in sight. Melinda thought for a minute.

What did the dream mean? Was she questioning Jim's love for her? Did she subconsciously want Sam? Was her mind just messing with her?

She had no clue.

Melinda took a deep breath and tried to focus.

"It was just a dream. A nightmare, actually." she told herself.

"What's a nightmare?" Jim spoke as he walked into the living room.

Melinda practically jumped out of her skin. Jim chuckled and sat next to her on the couch. Melinda poised herself into a sitting position, slightly away from Jim.

"Uh, nothing. Just some stupid dream I had." she averted her eyes from him.

"What was it about?" he placed a hand on her back in a concern way.

There it was. That tingling sensation Melinda always felt when Jim touched her, sexually or not. A surge that warmed her heart instantly.

'_How can I question that?' _Melinda asked herself.

"Mel?" Jim pulled her away from her thoughts.

"Huh?" she looked at him, his eyes enchanting her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." she nodded, convincingly.

Jim decided not to push it. Melinda could see the worry etched on his face, but ignored the voice in her head that told her to confess her dream.

"Okay. Well, dinner's ready if you're hungry." he forced a smile.

"Great. I'm starving." she smiled and went into the kitchen, leaving Jim behind.

Once she stepped foot into the kitchen, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She started debating with herself.

'_Lying to him is painful.' 'Then why do it? It was a stupid dream!' 'How will Jim react to it, though? Him turning into Sam and then me kissing Sam? He'll think I want Sam and I don't. Do I?' _Melinda sighed in frustration.

"Shut up!" she shouted at no one in particular.

"Who are you talking to?" Jim asked, walking into the kitchen, clearly concerned for her.

Melinda spun around and forced a smile.

"No one." she said.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem…off." Jim spoke as he deposited some food on a plate for Melinda, then himself.

"I'm fine, Jim." she said. "Stop your worrying."

"Alright." he gave up.

The couple sat at the kitchen table and quietly ate their dinner. Melinda broke the silence.

"Jim?" she said, unsure.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"What's the most important thing in your life?" she asked.

"What kind of question is that? You." Jim answered without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course I'm sure. I would give up anything for you." he replied.

"Even your company?" Melinda asked quietly.

Jim looked at her in disbelief. What has gotten into her?

"Melinda. I have worked so hard to keep this company running smoothly. I put everything I have into it. But, if I ever had to choose between the company and you, well, I'd have to find another job." Jim spoke with such love and confidence, it made Melinda want to cry.

"I love you, Jim. Never question that." she said.

"I love you, too. What is going on? Why are you acting like this?" Jim asked.

"I…I, uh…just wanted to confirm what I already know." she smiled.

After dinner, Melinda skimmed her CD collection, searching for the right song. A smile beamed across her face as she picked up a Celine Dion CD. She popped it in and the apartment filled with soft, relaxing music. Jim had been sitting on the couch the whole time watching Melinda. She walked over to him and held out her hand.

"Dance with me." she smiled.

Jim smiled and took her hand. She pulled him off the couch and into the open area in her living room. Jim held Melinda close as she snuggled against him as they started dancing. Melinda inhaled Jim's sweet scent as they danced.

"Jim? Can I ask you something?" Melinda spoke.

"Anything." he answered.

"We've known each other for six years. During those six years, we've found all kinds of ways to get under each other's skin. I know that it was our way of hiding our true feelings for one another, but some of the things you did really hurt me and I know I've hurt you. And now, we're together. I just wonder, how can two people forgive so much pain one has inflicted on the other?" Melinda questioned.

Jim stopped dancing, lifted her head off of his chest and looked deeply into her eyes. He could see so much confusion and concern, it was heartbreaking.

"Mel, the things we said and did back then doesn't matter anymore. We may have hurt each other, yes, but we didn't mean anything we did. I don't know about you, but I forgave you for all of that a long time ago. My love for you eliminated any bad feeling I had towards you." Jim replied, softly. "There is nothing I doubt about our relationship, and there shouldn't be anything for you to doubt either. I love you and that's all that matters."

It was at that moment, Melinda threw all insecurities out the window and didn't doubt her relationship with Jim anymore. Everything that has happened between the two was true. There was nothing Jim wouldn't do for her. Together they would put Sam in his place.

"I love you, too." she smiled and kissed him with every ounce of passion inside her.

Melinda pulled away and looked up at Jim smiling. He smiled down at her. She held him tighter as they began to sway to the music once more.

**Okay, I know this chapter is kind of short, but hopefully the next chapter will make up for it. Please review. :)**


	8. We're All Friends Here

**SORRY for the long wait, you guys. But, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ghost Whisperer, but if I did, the show would definitely not be over.**

"Are you kidding me? I'm the most confused person in the whole world. And that is not exaggerating." Melinda said into the phone.

"Melinda, you are blowing things way out of proportion." Andrea replied. "It's all on you. You need to figure out what you want. Now, personally, I think Sam is a crazy lunatic who should be locked up in the loony house. And Jim is this great guy who you've known for a long time. You two always had this weird relationship but the girls and I could always tell you guys would end up together."

"Really? That's good to know." Melinda smiled. "Hey, how about I throw a party this weekend and everyone can get to know Jim a little better. You know, since we're all cool now, I won't stop you guys from talking."

"Sounds fun. But, you know I'm only there for the drinks, right?" Andrea laughed.

"Of course that's what you want." Melinda laughed, too. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Andrea said.

"Bye." Melinda hung up.

Just then, Jim walked in the door to his apartment. Melinda got up from the couch and greeted her boyfriend.

"Hey." she kissed him lightly.

"Hi." he smiled.

"How's Dan?" Melinda asked.

Jim had went to visit his brother. The two were close and loved to hang out all the time. Melinda and Dan got along very well, even before she and Jim were together. He used to joke around and pretend Melinda was his girlfriend. Melinda loved Dan.

"He's great." they walked into the living room and plopped onto the couch. "But, he can tire out a guy."

Melinda chuckled at his comment. She kissed him on the cheek.

"I made lunch if you're hungry." she said.

"Ooh, food." Jim smiled.

Melinda smiled and went to grab him a plate of food. She came back into the living room and sat down, handing him the plate.

"So, I was thinking," Melinda started as Jim's mouth was full of his club sandwich.

"Oh, that's not a good sign." he joked, when his mouth was almost empty.

"Hey!" she slapped his arm. "Seriously. I was thinking that I should throw a party. I'll invite all my close friends so they can get to know you. You can invite whoever you want, if you want to come."

"Well, I don't think I have much choice in the matter, so okay. I'll bring Dan. That's about the only person I would bring to meet your crazy friends." Jim joked again.

"Okay, you know what?" Melinda took his plate away from him. "You're being mean, so no food for you."

She started to get up when Jim pulled her back down onto his lap. She gripped the plate, trying not to let it fall.

"I'm sorry, Mel." he cooed.

"No, you're just saying that to get your food." she smiled.

"Okay, maybe you're right. But, that's only because I'm _starving_ and I can't think straight on an empty stomach." Jim reasoned.

"Fine. Have you're food." she gave him the plate and walked away with a smile.

Jim finished eating and the couple were cuddling on the couch, watching a movie.

"Hey, Jim." Melinda looked up at him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"I love you." she said sincerely.

Jim looked down at her. He knew what she meant by that. He leaned down and kissed her passionately.

"I love you, too." he mumbled against her lips.

He picked her up in his arms and carefully took her to his bedroom.

_o_

It was the night of the party, and Melinda was throwing it at her condo. She made sure everything was in order; the food, the drinks, the apartment was neat and tidy. Jim had been there practically all day helping her out with the preparations.

The clock struck 8:00pm and the guests started arriving. They immediately started mingling.

"So," Jim walked up behind Melinda. "Looks like Dan is getting real chummy with your friend there."

"Yeah, Vanessa seems to like him, too." she chuckled as they watched Dan and Vanessa laughing and talking across the room.

"Are all your friends together?" Jim asked looking around.

"Yes." Melinda began pointing out everybody. "Shawn and Andrea are engaged, Kyle and Melissa are married, Matt and Sarah are engaged, and you know Tim and Delia are engaged, Will and Holly are dating, and Bobby and Hayden are dating."

Jim had been longtime buddies with Tim, Will, and Bobby. They went to college together and never lost touch with each other. Everybody stayed in Grandview in order to stay friends. When they would throw parties, Jim and Melinda were there at the same time, but never talked to each other. Now, everyone was on good terms.

"What were you guys a part of? A matchmaking service?" Jim joked.

"No, this is how we came together." Melinda chuckled. "I've been friends with Andrea since forever, met Vanessa and Delia in elementary school, and we met the other girls later on. The guys joined the group when they started dating them."

"I see." he nodded. "And what about you? What did you do when they were all paired up?"

"Well, since Vanessa and I were the only ones without a guy, we usually just stuck with each other and talked. We also made fun of all the couples." she laughed.

"Mm-hmm." he nodded in understanding.

Later on that night, Melinda was standing in a group with Delia, Tim, Vanessa, and Dan. Dan was telling stories about Jim, and Melinda couldn't stop laughing.

"…so, he stood up from the table, and walked over to the girl. From what I could see, he whispered something in her ear that she did not like. You should have seen her face!" Dan laughed so hard, he almost cried. "And then the next thing I knew, she slaps him across the face and walks away."

Melinda's mouth opened in shock with a smile still on her face. She busted out into laughter.

"Oh my god! When was this?" she asked, through her laughter.

"It was in college. Jim's ego was bruised for about a month before he got back in the game." Dan answered.

"Hey, what are we talking about?" Jim asked, walking up to the group.

"Oh, nothing." Melinda smiled.

He looked at her with an accusing look. She started laughing, as well as everybody else.

"What?" he asked.

"So, what kind of dirty stuff are you into, Jim? The kind that gets you slapped across the face?" Tim asked with a smirk.

"You told them!" Jim exclaimed at his brother.

"It was too funny not to! And Delia asked." Dan smiled.

"Delia! I'm gonna get you. You just wait." Jim smiled at her.

"Melinda, you better get your man." Delia started hiding behind Tim.

Melinda just laughed. The party started coming to a close a little after midnight. Jim and Melinda saw everyone off and started cleaning up.

"How did you like everybody?" Melinda asked, picking up empty dishes and stuff around the living room.

"They were all really nice and funny. I like them a lot." Jim answered from the kitchen.

"Good. I couldn't have you feuding with any of my friends." she said.

"Well, I don't know. Delia's gonna be looking out for me now." he joked.

"Hmm, scare her straight, baby." she laughed.

Jim walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Maybe I will." he smiled, then kissed her.

"Alright, mister. We can clean up tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to bed. Will you be joining me?" Melinda asked, sweetly.

"Of course I will. Just let me take out this trash." Jim went to get the two, full trash bags and took them outside to the dumpster.

"Well, well. If it isn't Jim Clancy." a voice called behind him.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought I made myself clear." Jim turned around to glare at him.

"Did you? I didn't get the memo. How's Melinda?" he asked.

Jim tensed up when he heard Melinda's name come out of this bastard's mouth.

"Leave her alone! How many times do I have to fucking tell you that?" Jim clenched his jaw.

"Oh come on, Jim. Don't be like that." the guy smiled. "You know what I want. Why don't you just give it to me without there being complications?"

"Like hell will I ever give you MY company, or Melinda. You'll never get either, so get the fuck over it and stay away from us." Jim walked back into the building and up to Melinda's condo.

She was already in bed, waiting for him. He got ready for bed and crawled in next to her. He immediately wrapped her in his arms and she quickly snuggled down into him.

"I love you, Mel." he whispered.

"I love you, too." she replied in the same tone, and the two eventually fell asleep.

_o_

The next morning, Jim woke up to a bright light shining on his face. He felt around in the bed, but didn't find what he was looking for. He jumped up, searching the room for a sign of Melinda.

"Mel?" he called out.

No answer came.

"Melinda!" Jim got up and walked into the living room.

He didn't see her anywhere. Panic started twisting in his stomach. He went back into the bedroom and grabbed his cell phone.

"Hello?" came a voice.

"Hey, where are you?" Jim asked.

"I went to the grocery store." Melinda answered.

"Oh, okay. Good." he sighed.

"What's wrong?" she could hear the worry in his voice.

"Uh, nothing. Nothing. I was just woke up and you weren't here." he chuckled nervously.

"Jim, I'm okay. Don't worry so much." she said.

"I'm not worried." he said.

"Right. I'll be home soon." Melinda said.

"Alright. I love you." he smiled.

"I love you, too." she said, then hung up.

Jim had gotten ready for the day and was currently pacing back and forth in the living room, waiting for Melinda to come home. Suddenly, he heard the key turn in the lock, and the door open.

"Jim?" Melinda walked in carrying grocery bags.

Jim took all the bags and set them on the coffee table in the living room. Out of the blue, he pulled Melinda against him and kissed her intensely. She was shocked, but kissed him back as he pressed her up against the wall.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, breathlessly once they pulled away.

"I just…I don't know." he kissed her again. "I'm glad you're home. I thought something might have happened to you."

"What could happen to me? The only thing that would hurt me was Sam. And he's gone." Melinda said in confusion.

Jim looked down to the ground. Melinda raised her eyebrows.

"Isn't he?" she asked.

"Well," he started.

"Jim!" she worried.

"I ran into him last night while I was taking the trash." he answered.

"You what!" Melinda slightly shouted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you." he let her go and started pacing the living room again.

"What did he want?" she asked.

"What else?" Jim replied. "The company. And you."

"Jim, he's really starting to scare me." Melinda hugged herself.

He saw her do this and pulled her into his arms.

"Don't be scared, Mel. I'll deal with him. I'll fix this." Jim tried to soothe her.

"Please don't get hurt." she mumbled into his chest.

"I promise." Jim kissed her head and held her tighter. "I promise."

**Well, there's chapter 8. Tell me what you think. I hope this story has you guys interested. I know you're all waiting for a big scene with Sam. Don't worry, it's coming up. This story is coming to a close soon, which is kind of sad, but I still have my other stories to work on. Keep reviewing. Thanks guys.**


	9. This Could Be the Last Time

**Truly sorry for the incredibly long wait on this story. I don't know how I let this story slip from my mind. I was just so busy with my other ones. So many things are swirling in my head, and I need to get them on paper. Sorry again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It starts where the last one left off.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ghost Whisperer at all.**

Jim wasn't sure how he was going to fix this. Sam was capable of anything. This, he knew. It wouldn't be enough to just call the police. Sam was conniving and can turn the situation around to make Jim look like that guilty one. Banking on everything, it seemed as if Jim was fighting a losing battle, and soon, there would be nothing left to his name.

_o_

It was late. Midnight-ish, maybe. It didn't really matter. Jim's head was a commotion of thoughts. All he knew was that is was late, and he should be sleeping. But, how could he drift off to a subconscious state when his mind wouldn't take a rest? Jim sighed before looking over at his sleeping wife. A relationship that had started off so counterfeit, is now blissfully genuine. The feelings that stirred in Jim's heart every time he laid eyes on Melinda were so warm and natural - as if he was meant to love her. Never did he imagine they would come this far. And for Sam to just walk up and try to take it all away? No, this is how it's supposed to be.

Jim sighed and gingerly ran his hand through Melinda's hair, reveling in the silky texture. _One of her best features,_ he thought. If Sam had a problem with Jim, he should take it up with him. There was no need to bring people he loved into this hasty fight that didn't even make sense in the first place. What did Jim do that was so bad - bad enough to want to hurt him and destroy what he worked so hard for? Why was Sam full of rage? No answers came to him. All he comprehended was that he would take the beating, because it would snow on the hills of hell before he ever let anything happen to Melinda. With that final thought, Jim soundlessly lifted himself off of the bed and left the bedroom.

The kitchen was his destination, since he needed a cold drink. He pulled out a water bottle from the fridge and took nice, long gulps to help soothe his troubled mind. He felt the cool liquid travel through his esophagus, down to his stomach, and it helped him relax a bit. Jim made his way out of the kitchen and into the living room, where he went over to the huge window. He gazed upon the bustling city of Grandview. It looked so calm, so oblivious to the dangerous people within its barriers. If only the city knew what kind of people lived in it. Jim sighed and contemplated what he could do to get rid of Sam. Only one solution came to his mind.

"Jim?" Melinda spoke quietly.

He whipped around to see a sleepy Melinda looked at him. She looked adorable with slightly droopy eyelids and ruffled hair. Jim smiled to himself. How lucky he was to have this sleeping beauty in his life.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Jim asked softly, pretending to scold her.

A smile broke out on her face.

"I woke up, felt around, and you weren't there. I thought something bad might have happened." she answered.

"Aww, someone couldn't sleep without their teddy bear?" he mocked with a smile.

"If someone's teddy bear didn't leave the bed, that someone could have still been asleep right now." she smiled.

Jim smiled at her comment. He walked over to her and gently pulled her to him.

"I don't know where your teddy bear went. He was just here." he looked around stupidly. "I suppose you'll have to sleep alone."

"Hmm, I guess I'll have to." Melinda walked out of his embrace. "Well, if you see my teddy bear again, tell him that I don't want him anymore. He wasn't as cuddly as I like."

She walked back into her bedroom. Jim grinned and quickly followed her. Once he was in the room, he tackled her to the bed. She fell with a squeal and landed on her back, facing Jim. He laid on top of her and smiled.

"Your teddy bear was hurt, but he sent me instead." he said.

"Well…I don't know." she replied with a smile. "I'm looking for cuddly. You don't seem very cuddly seeing as how you just attacked me."

Jim moved up the bed and laid down with his head on the pillow. He held out his arms.

"I can be very cuddly." he spoke innocently.

"I'll be the judge of that." Melinda grinned as she climbed into his arms.

Jim held her close to his body, breathing in her scent. He was sure more than ever that he was willing to fight tooth and nail for Melinda's safety. It seemed like the only way, even if he had to lose everything, including his life, to do it.

"What's wrong?" Melinda whispered.

"Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?" he said almost convincingly.

"Jim, I know you." she looked up at him. "You're tense and even though you try to play it off, I know something is deeply bothering you. So talk to me."

Jim sighed. She read him like an open book. Barely anything got past her. One of the perks to being soulmates, right?

"I was just thinking…" he hesitated. She stared at him patiently, encouraging him to go on. "I was thinking about Sam. I know he's smart, so he'll find a way to rip apart my whole life until I'm nothing. And when that time comes, you'll be ready to move on and find someone else."

Even as he spoke the words, he didn't truly believe them. Melinda wouldn't just pick up and leave after all that's happened. Would she?

Melinda wasn't hearing this. She gingerly pulled out of his arms and clambered into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You're all I want, and it's not because you have money or power. It's because you are amazingly smart and incredibly caring. You're also insanely hot, but that's beside the reason." Melinda smiled. Jim rolled his eyes and smiled, too. "Jim, I love you. No matter what Sam does, that will never change. I'm here to stay."

Jim was swept up by her declaration of love. He pulled her head to his and kissed her passionately. This was his girl, and no one was going to take her from him. He pulled away a few minutes later.

"Mel, I want you to know that it might get dangerous, but that's not a reason for me to run." he looked down at his hand, which was resting on her thigh. "I want you to know that if it comes down to it, I'd give my life to make sure you are safe and always will be."

"Jim, please…" she said in a shaky voice.

"You need to know this might not end the way you want and-"

"Stop talking like that." she shook her head. "I don't want to hear it."

"Melinda, you need to hear this." he gently grabbed her upper arms. "Sam is capable of anything, even murder."

That did it for Melinda. Tears spilled over the rims of her eyes, running down her cheeks, and dropping like drizzle onto Jim's lap. The word 'murder' ripped at her heart. Life without Jim would be no life at all. Whether they were together or not, she had Jim for the past six years, and it is pretty much a foreign concept to live without him. Jim moved to wipe away her tears, but she quickly got up from his lap and left the bedroom. In slight confusion, he followed her. She went to the kitchen.

"Melinda, what are you doing?" Jim asked as he watched her grab a knife from the holder.

She positioned the knife in front of her, ready to stab herself in the heart. Jim looked at her tear-streaked face with fear.

"You want to leave me. You're gonna let Sam take you away from me! You're just gonna give up! Well, I'm not going to watch you die. You can watch me." Melinda plunged the knife toward her heart.

Jim was fast enough to grab her hand. She struggled against him. He had never seen her like that, which deeply frightened him.

"Just let me do it!" she cried. "You're going to leave me. I don't want to live if you're going to die, Jim. I don't want to live without you."

He grabbed a hold of the knife as Melinda sank to the floor. His own eyes filled with tears as he watched the love of his life cry in agony. It broke his heart to see her so scared. He dropped the knife onto the counter and knelt down to her. Her body shook with sobs. Jim's vision blurred with tears as he pulled her into his embrace. Melinda clung to him as she cried. She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to see him dead. If that's how the fight would end, she'd take her own life just to spare herself the despair she'd have to deal with. Jim was her love, her anchor, her life, her soulmate. She was nothing without him.

Jim effortlessly picked Melinda off of the floor and into his arms. She looped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, wanting to be as close to him as she could get. He silently carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and loosened his grip on her. Melinda was reluctant to let any kind of space penetrate between them, but soon let him go just enough to look at him. His face was damp with tears. She gingerly wiped them away. Jim smiled at the gesture and returned the favor.

"I love you." she whispered in a quivering voice.

"I love you, too." he responded strongly.

Jim held her safely in his arms as the couple drifted into a dreamless sleep, both reluctant to wake up the next morning.

Morning had came faster than either had liked. Jim was the first to get up. The clock read 6:22am. The two of them had to be at work soon. Jim stretched a bit and suddenly realized a heavy weight on top of him. He looked down to see Melinda draped over him, holding him protectively, even as she continued to slumber. Jim ran his fingers through her hair.

"Mel," he spoke quietly. She stirred a little, but remained asleep. "Mel, wake up, honey."

Melinda moaned a little as she shifted her whole body onto his. She finally opened her eyes to see that she was lying right on top of Jim. A smile formed on her lips.

"Hi, handsome." she said.

"Hey, beautiful." he kissed her forehead. "Remember that place where we keep our paychecks? Well, we need to go there soon."

"But I don't wanna." Melinda groaned. "I want to stay here and play with you."

She sat up on top of him and ran her hands over his bare chest. She leaned down and kissed his neck. Jim's hands automatically grabbed onto her hips, raising up the huge T-shirt she was wearing.

"Mel, please don't do this to me." Jim groaned.

"But you seem to like it." she whispered as she felt his body react to her.

Jim sat up, so Melinda was now sitting on his lap. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled her T-shirt off, leaving her only in her panties. She felt Jim harden even more under her.

"Come on, Jimmy." she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his. "We're the bosses. We can be a little late."

She kissed him gently on his lips. She felt his hands roam around her back, so she kissed him again, a little longer this time. Suddenly, Jim placed his hand on her upper back and pushed her against him. He groaned as he felt her breasts against his chest. Melinda slightly wriggled against him. Jim captured her lips in a heated kiss. And the next hour was spent in pure bliss.

_o_

"Jim," Melinda mumbled. "we're going to get caught."

Melinda was perched on her desk with her legs wrapped around Jim's waist as he kissed her fanatically. One hand was on her neck, keeping her lips close to his and the other caressed her leg. Melinda had her hands on the back of his shoulders as they made out on her desk. Jim pushed her skirt up a little and caressed her upper thigh.

"Jim," she moaned against his lips, but pulled away. "This is highly unprofessional."

"That's part of the fun." he breathed with a grin and kissed her again.

Melinda moaned again as Jim's hand reached her underwear. Having sex in the office was definitely exciting, and the thrill of being caught at any moment intrigued her, but she knew Jim was only doing this because of what happened last night. They were making love for what could be the last time. If it was going to be the last time, Melinda wanted it to count.

Somehow, they ended up on the floor during the process. Jim rolled off of Melinda, breathing heavily. They were wearing matching dazed expressions.

"I love you, Melinda. Remember that." Jim looked at her.

"I love you, too." she looked back at him briefly before cuddling up to him.

Work was pretty slow that day, and rain was coming down heavily on Grandview. But, the rain was the least of their worries. The same thing that was on Jim's mind was the same thing that was on Melinda's mind. Both had a feeling of dread, but didn't admit it to each other. The fear of what Sam was going to do was starting to affect them; it was getting too hard to deny. What seemed like a lifetime later, lunch rolled around.

"So, do you want to go out for lunch?" Jim asked.

"Oh, no. I already made plans with Andrea to have lunch. I'm sorry." Melinda apologized.

"It's alright." he smiled. "Go have fun. And _be careful_."

"I will, I promise. You be careful, too." Melinda kissed him for a minute before leaving the office.

Jim sighed and watched from the window as she ran to her car, trying to avoid as much rain as she could. She jumped in her car and drove away safely. His stomach gave a loud grumble, and he chuckled to himself.

"Time for food." he mumbled to himself.

He grabbed his coat and wallet, then walked out the door. Out in the parking lot, the rain was relentless, making it look like the city was just a big blur. Jim made his way to his car, silently deciding where he wanted to eat. About a foot away from his car, Jim collapsed to the ground, after being struck on the head by something hard and heavy. The impact was gradual. And the last thing on his mind…

…Melinda.

**How was this chapter after a long, long wait? I hope you enjoyed it. I try my best to make it great. Please review, or you'll never know what happens. Yes, I am evil. Thanks guys.**


	10. Fighter, Not a Lover

**Hey, guys. Ready for this chapter? Please enjoy. And for those of you who like other endings than this one, don't worry. The story is not over. Have an opened mind. Now, read on!**

**DISCLAIMER: Ghost Whisperer is not mine. I really wish it was, though.**

_Jim made his way to his car, silently deciding where he wanted to eat. About a foot away from his car, Jim collapsed to the ground, after being struck on the head by something hard and heavy. The impact was gradual. And the last thing on his mind…_

…_Melinda._

_o_

He wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but somewhere deep in his mind, he knew it had been quite a while. As he slowly returned to reality, Jim realized that he was in an uncomfortable position, bringing him pain in more places than his head. Suddenly, a rush of cold splashed over him, conveying him to a rude awakening. Ice water dripped from his hair and face, making him sputter a bit as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Good, you're awake." came a malevolent voice, one all too familiar.

Jim coughed a nasty cough, followed by a groan from all the pain it emanated. Achingly slow, he lifted his face to look at his captor; he wasn't surprised to find it was none other than Sam. And it was in that moment, he realized he was tied to a chair. Of all the luck.

"What the hell?" Jim spoke in a groggy manner. "What am I doing here?"

"Oh," Sam chuckled. "Well, you see, I figured Melinda won't come to me voluntarily, so I decided to blackmail her, all the while blackmailing you, too. Genius, isn't it?"

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Jim asked, obscurely pulling on his restraints.

"I plan on using you to lure her here, threatening to kill you if she refuses. And then, when she's here, you'll have no choice but to watch her give in to me." Sam smirked as he paced the room in front of Jim.

"I rather you kill me. She'll never come here." Jim spat.

"Oh, she'll come. Because if I kill you, I'll have to kill her, too. You do me more good alive, Jim. This is how the suffering works. I'm done with you being Mr. Big Shot." Sam walked behind Jim and pulled his hair painfully, making him wince. "Now, I'm going to hold your phone to your ear, and you're going to tell her to come. Got it?"

When Jim didn't answer, Sam pulled on his hair harder. Jim winced again.

"No." he said bravely.

Sam wouldn't have it, though. His fist came flying towards Jim's stomach in a painful blow. Jim leaned over, groaning, but Sam pulled his head back, and did it again.

"Are you going to do it now?" Sam urged.

"Go to hell." Jim strained.

Sam moved to the front of the chair Jim was tied to and punched him brutally in the jaw, making Jim's head fly back. Blood trickled from his mouth and down his chin. Jim turned his head to the side, spiting out the blood. Sam stood there, waiting for his cooperation.

"That the best you got?" Jim spoke in a weak voice, but there was determination behind it. He wasn't going to let Sam have Melinda that easily.

Sam punched him again, then again in his stomach. Jim tried to resist the pain, but it was getting stronger every time.

"You know what, this is getting boring." Sam sighed in frustration. "I'll just call her myself."

Jim was panting by this point. He rolled his eyes at Sam's stupidity. Sam took his phone and scrolled to Melinda's name in his phonebook. He pulled out a gun from a back loop of his belt and pointed it at Jim's head.

"Let's see what your wife's doing." Sam smiled evilly, putting the phone to his ear.

_o_

Melinda just arrived in the parking lot of the company. Her lunch with Andrea was eventful, and now that she was full, she was more excited to see Jim. On her walk to the front doors of the building, her cell phone began to ring. Rummaging through her purse, she found her phone and looked at the caller ID.

"Jim?" she asked herself, glancing up at the building before answering. "Hello?"

"Melinda." a voice spoke. Her blood ran cold.

"What the hell? Where's Jim?" panic washed over her.

"Oh, he's right here, but he's unable to come to the phone right now." Sam smirked. "If you want to see him, I suggest you listen closely."

"What did you do to him? What do you want?" she gritted her teeth.

"I want you to follow some directions. First, do not bring the police into this. If I hear any sirens, I will shoot Jim." Sam threatened. Melinda's stomach filled with ice. "Secondly, my plan won't succeed until you are here. So, I expect to see you in a half an hour."

"Don't do it, Melinda!" she heard Jim yell. Then, she heard Sam hit him violently over the head.

"Don't hurt him!" Melinda pleaded. "I'll come! Just tell me where."

Sam gave her directions to his hide out and hung up without another word. Melinda couldn't think straight with all the panic twisting inside her. But, she knew if she didn't show up, Sam would surely kill Jim. The thought of Jim dead brought tears to her eyes. Melinda quickly ran to her car and punched the directions into her GPS navigation system.

_o_

"Good news, Jimmy. Melinda's on her way." Sam smiled as he put his gun back in his belt loop.

Jim was struggling to breathe through the pain that shot within his whole body. He slowly lifted his head to look at Sam.

"How do you suppose this all will go?" he rasped.

"Oh, you'll find out soon." Sam answered.

Jim was going in and out of consciousness, but he had to stay awake. He had to see Melinda one more time before he slipped out forever. He had a feeling he wouldn't be alive much longer. The beating he received earlier was starting to take him over, it wouldn't be long now, before he stopped breathing completely.

"I'm going upstairs to bring her down here. Don't go anywhere." Sam laughed hysterically. "Like you could move at all."

Once Sam was out of sight, Jim shook his head.

"That guy is fucking idiotic." he said before he began coughing.

_o_

Melinda pulled up in front of an old abandoned house in the woods. The exterior looked like just a slight wind could send it tumbling. She hesitantly climbed out of her car and took a deep breath. She hoped this would work out in her favor. Taking a few steps closer to the house, her heart began to pound in her chest.

"It's okay, Melinda. Everything will turn out fine." she tried to calm herself.

It wasn't working; her heart continued to thump furiously against her rib cage. Suddenly, Sam was standing on the worn out porch, smiling like a psychopath, and that scared Melinda even more. She finally stepped foot on the porch, her body shaking slightly.

"Melinda, I'm so glad to see you." Sam said. "You look great."

"I'm not here to see you. I want to see Jim." she spoke, hoping to sound braver than she felt.

"Patience, sweetie." he said.

Melinda rolled her eyes at the nickname and followed him into the house. He lead her into the basement, where it was almost pitch black.

"Could you maybe put on a light or something? I can't see." Melinda said, walking carefully, as to not trip on anything.

"Alright, alright." Sam flipped a switch and light flooded the room.

Melinda looked around and her eyes immediately found Jim, unconscious, tied to a chair, and covered in a little blood. She silently gasped and ran over to him. She gently cupped his face in her hands as tears stung her eyes.

"Jim, wake up. Come on, wake up, baby." she spoke sternly through her tears. "You said you wouldn't leave me."

His eyes moved under his lids before they opened slowly. He looked up to see Melinda's tear-stained face a few inches away from his beaten one. He cracked a slight smile.

"I told you not to come here." he spoke quietly.

"I told you not to get hurt." she sobbed before kissing him gently, despite the blood on his face.

"Aww, now isn't that sweet." Sam mocked them.

Melinda pulled away from Jim and looked at Sam. She was still crying a bit, but now she was furious.

"What the hell do you want from us?" she shouted.

"I want to feel like a winner, like Jim. I am so tired of being in his shadow. Ever since we were freaking kids, I had to be second best. Jim was always on top, the hotshot. Could I ever be number one? No, you just had to steal it from me." Sam looked at Jim. "You got the grades, the friends, the girls, the praise! Everything I ever wanted, you took for yourself! Even when we started the fashion company, _together_, all credit went to you. No one looked at me, no one appreciated what I did. All they saw was you."

Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never noticed that he was the one to get the kudos, and Sam just stood there, in the background. He never noticed how much it hurt Sam to live in the shadows of Jim's glory. Now, he had somewhat of an understanding to why Sam was trying to ruin his life. But, why ruin it? Why not talk to him about how he felt. Sam never mentioned the ache of not being Mr. Big Shot. How was that Jim's fault.

"I wished you did it all on purpose. That would be easier to deal with. But, to know that you get all the fame without ever pushing it, it's like I'm cursed to watch you live the dream I always wanted." Sam was angry and miserable at the same time. "Now, you can watch me take everything _you_ worked hard for."

Sam pulled Melinda to him. She struggled against him, trying to get out of his grasp.

"Melinda!" Jim yelled with all the strength he had left. "Let her go, Sam!"

"This is all I need to tear you down." Sam grinned. "Enjoy this."

Sam pulled Melinda's head to his and kissed her. Jim yelled at him to stop. She hit him repeatedly, trying to push him away. She finally pried her lips from his.

"Get off of me!" she continued to struggle.

"You better cooperate," Sam pulled out his gun and pointed it at Jim. "or he gets it." Immediately, Melinda became still. Sam smiled. "Good. Now, kiss me if you want him to live."

"Don't do it, Melinda. I rather die." Jim said.

"I can't let you die." tears fell from her eyes as she looked at Sam.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to Sam's. She couldn't help but feel disgusted. The only thing she thought of was how they would get out of this. She hoped it worked. Melinda wove her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. More tears fell down her cheeks, knowing Jim's heart was breaking. Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, getting lost in the kiss. She continued to distract him as her right hand slowly made its way to the gun in his hand. Just a few more seconds…

Melinda took the gun from his hand and quickly pointed it to his head, breaking the kiss. Sam dropped his arms from her body. Melinda kept the gun to his temple as she wiped her lips in disgust.

"You can't kill me." Sam smiled evilly. "You're not a criminal. You don't have it in you."

Melinda kept her resistance up, not listening to what he was saying. She just focused on the gun in her hand. It was the only upper hand she had at the moment, but she hoped she wouldn't have to go there.

"Don't tell me what I can or can't do. You don't know me." she spat.

"Then shoot me. What are you waiting for?" Sam challenged.

Melinda didn't respond. She just wished this was all over soon. How did she get herself into this mess? Just a few months ago, she was safe. She didn't have to worry about being by herself. She didn't have to keep looking over her shoulder all the time. She didn't have to hold her breath every time she left her home. She was free.

As Melinda began to get caught up in her musings, Sam took his chance. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at her. Melinda stood frozen; she lost her confrontation.

"I told you to cooperate." Sam said before he shot her in the leg.

"MELINDA!" Jim yelled, trying to break through his bounds.

She screamed and fell to the floor, clutching her leg. Blood poured out from the wound above her right knee.

"Now, how does that feel, Jim? To see your life be controlled by someone else." Sam spoke nonchalantly, like it was nothing.

Jim didn't listen. He continued to fight. He used all the strength he could muster, all the strength he had left in his body and pulled on the ropes. Sam was standing over Melinda, who was crying from the pain. Jim broke one hand loose and stood up from the chair. Still gathering his strength, he swung his tied down hand at Sam, sending the chair to knock him over. The wooden chair broke into pieces as Sam fell to the floor. Jim shook off the loose pieces of wood off his hand and kneeled down to Melinda, panting heavily.

"Melinda, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm…fine." she tried to sit up.

Suddenly, Sam grabbed his gun and stood up.

"That was a bad choice." he commented before pulling the trigger.

"JIM! NO!" Melinda screamed as bullets penetrated Jim's body.

He fell beside Melinda, not moving an inch. He was dead.

"No! Jim, wake up. Please, you promised." Melinda forgot about the pain in her leg, which was now being dominated by the pain in her heart.

She shook Jim, trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't open his eyes.

"You don't need him. You have me." Sam smiled, moving closer to her.

**Wow, this was some kind of chapter, right? How did you all like it? Please, tell me what you think. Review. Thanks guys.**


	11. A Vision of Us

**Well, I'm sad to say this is the final chapter of Forever and For Always. It was such an amazing experience to write this story and I'm very sad to see it go. But, we all know all good things must come to an end. I am very thankful to those who read this story from beginning to end and I appreciate all the wonderful reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thanks again. Now, read on.**

**Oh, and sorry about the huge time period between this chapter and the last.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ghost Whisperer, seriously, stop asking.**

He was trying to hold on, but breathing was becoming extremely difficult. All he could do was lay there, in a pool of his own blood. The pain was intense, but he ignored it when he heard Melinda's cries and struggles.

"Melinda…" he tried to say; he fought hard with his last ounce of strength, knowing it was not wasted on her. "Melinda."

Her head whipped around from looking at Sam's smirk, to Jim's unmoving body. Had he spoke her name? Was she just imagining his sweet voice? She stared at Jim's face, hoping desperately he was alive.

"Mel," he said hoarsely.

"Jim!" she moved closer to him, caressing his face. "Jim, can you hear me?"

"I…love you." he said, trying to pry his eyes open to look at her one last time.

"I love you, too. Forever." she sobbed.

"For always." and with that, his last breath was taken.

Melinda's eyes closed in misery as the tears cascaded down her cheeks. He was gone, there was no getting him back. Her body shook in agony. Now she knew the true meaning of loss, like in the movies. The pain in her heart, the spinning in her head, the ache throughout her entire body; yeah, that was how it felt without the love of her life. Now what reason was there to live?

"He's gone, Melinda. Now it's just you and me." Sam snickered.

Melinda turned her eyes to Sam in pure hatred. The nerve of this man, to talk to her like he hadn't just taken a life - her life. Without Jim, there was nothing. She would've stood up if there wasn't a bullet lodged into her leg.

"You and me? There will never be a 'you and me'. You killed my husband, you shot me, and you think I'm just gonna run to you?" Melinda bellowed. "You are a fucking mad man!"

"Watch your mouth, bitch. Don't forget who you're talking to." Sam raised the gun to her.

"Or what? Am I supposed to be afraid of you because you have a gun?" Melinda yelled, her eyes glaring past the gun. "You're an idiot. Is this how you get all your women? Because you don't have enough balls to win them over without killing someone? That's pathetic. _You're _pathetic."

"I'm warning you. Shut. Up." The trap was set.

"Only a loser like you would have no guilt." she said irately.

And snap goes the trap; a shot was fired.

_o_

Melinda bolted straight up in her bed, trying to catch her breath. The visions of her dream flashed through her head like a picture show. She tried to wrap her mind around it, but it just didn't make any sense. Why would she have such a dream? Her heart ached in her chest as she remembered seeing Jim dead beside her. The impact of getting shot herself woke her up to reality. She looked around the bedroom she shared with Jim. She was home. Suddenly, she had to find her husband. Throwing the covers off, she jumped out of bed and ran down stairs in search of Jim. She ran into the kitchen to see him cooking breakfast.

"Hey, sleepyhead." he smiled, but it faded when he saw the look on her face. "Honey, what's wrong?"

She didn't respond. Melinda rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him senseless. After seeing him in her dream, she felt relief wash over her to have him back in her arms, safe and free of bullets. Jim was surprised but kissed her back, curious about her behavior.

"Mel, are you okay?" he asked when they broke apart.

"I'm just so happy to see you." she smiled.

"Babe, I saw you before we went to sleep last night." he chuckled.

"Yeah, and what an adventure I had in my dreams." she said.

"No other guys, right?" Jim joked as he poured eggs into the skillet.

"Well…" she started. Jim gave her a pointed look. "There was this one guy. His name was Sam. He was extremely handsome."

"Okay, don't need to know this." Jim said in a jealous tone, making Melinda smile.

"But he was completely delusional and evil." she said seriously.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jim asked.

"Maybe later. Right now, I'm hungry." she smiled. "Where's Aiden?"

"He's still asleep. Why don't you go get him and I'll finish up in here." he said, placing the now scrambled eggs onto a plate.

"Okay." she agreed and gave him a gentle kiss. "Love you." she called over her shoulder as she left the kitchen.

"I love you, too." Jim smiled.

Melinda walked into her son's room to find him still slumbering peacefully. She smiled and moved over to the bed, sitting next to him.

"Aiden, sweetie. Time to get up." she ruffled his hair.

Aiden stirred a bit before opening his eyes. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the morning light.

"Morning mommy." he smiled at her.

"Morning baby." she kissed him on the head.

"Time for breakfast?" Aiden asked.

"Yup. Daddy made French toast and scrambled eggs." Melinda said.

"Yay!" Aiden got out of bed and ran into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Melinda smiled at her son's enthusiasm and got up to do the same. When the two had finished, they went down stairs to enjoy their breakfast as a family. The three sat in the kitchen eating while Aiden rambled in pure joy about the best dream he had that night. Melinda shook her head with a smile, thinking how funny it was that her son had pleasant dreams while she was having nightmares.

After breakfast, Jim had dropped Aiden off at a play date's house after some hesitation from Melinda. All through the day, Melinda wouldn't let Jim out of her sight. He thought it was humorous that she got so worked up over a dream. But, he knew better than to tease her about it. Jim had to admit that it was also adorable how much she wanted to be around him; it was a feeling he would never get tired of.

"Mel, I'm going to take a shower now." he smiled as they walked into the bedroom, Melinda attached to Jim by the hand.

"So? Like I haven't seen you naked before?" a small smile played across her lips.

"Point taken." he chuckled. "Well, then. You're far too dressed for a shower."

Jim started playing with the hem of her shirt. Melinda smiled and rest her hands on the waist of his jeans. The feeling that he might disappear at any moment, and her dream would turn out to be a cruel reality was slowly starting to fade as she returned to this world.

"You are, too." Melinda pulled his shirt off.

They smiled at each other and began undressing one another as they made their way to the bathroom. Their shower was filled with a comfortable silence besides the steaming shower head that surged calmingly over them. Melinda was comforted by his protecting embrace, relishing in the safety it provided. Even though it was just a dream, it scared the living daylight out of her. The image of Jim's dead body flashed in her mind and made panic rise in her chest. She knew a vision when she had one, and strange enough, that's how the dream felt. Meanwhile, Jim was still wondering what Melinda's dream was and why it was affecting her so much. She was too busy clinging to him to tell him what happened. But, It was just a dream, right? Well, one thing he's learned was that dreams, especially Melinda's, weren't always just dreams.

_o_

Night had fallen over the city of Grandview and most of it's residents were saying goodbye to another day. In the Clancy/Gordon house, Aiden was being put down for bed.

"But, I'm not tired." he protested.

"Well, it's nighttime, buddy. It's time for bed." Jim said tucking him in.

"I can't sleep…if I'm not tired." Aiden yawned.

"Yeah, sure, baby. Good night." Melinda kissed him. "Love you."

"Love you, too, mom." Aiden's eyes started to close. "Love you, dad."

"Night, bud. Love you, too." Jim kissed him on the head.

Jim and Melinda stood in the doorway, watching their little guy sleep for a minute. They shut off the lights and closed the door a little.

"Mel, are you okay?" Jim asked as they stood in the hallway.

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"You just seem different. All day, you were a bit off. I just wanna know if you're okay." he replied.

"Jim, I'm just fine." Melinda smiled. "It's only that dream I had. It felt like a vision, but I didn't see any ghosts today. Plus, I just wanted to be with you."

"Oh, well…" Jim smiled and pulled her close to him. "I'm glad you're alright."

He kissed her passionately, which she responded to happily. The fears and worries she had built up since waking up that morning had washed away as quickly as they had came. The feeling of having a vision still shook her up a bit, but Melinda let it go with the day's past stress. Jim was alive, and he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. A smile graced her lips as she came to the revelation. She pulled away from him as the kiss came to an end.

"I love you." she looked into his eyes, and the emotion reflected in them.

"I love you, too." he smiled and kissed her forehead.

The couple walked hand-in-hand into their bedroom and climbed into bed. The amount of emotions that flowed through her was almost breathtaking, but Melinda welcomed each one with an opened heart. She turned on her side to get more comfortable, and was surprised to see two ghosts standing by the window. A man and a woman. Melinda sat up in bed as a feeling of recognition hit her. They didn't look familiar, but they felt that way. Melinda took a closer look at them and noticed the man had multiple bruises on his face and bullet holes were visible; you could tell he was shot in the back. The woman had a bullet hole in her right leg above her knee and one in her chest, right over her heart; she looked like she'd been crying as well. Suddenly, it hit Melinda. Her dream _was _a vision. She had dreamt of a real lives - lives that were now over.

The man and woman smiled at her as their wounds swiftly disappeared from view. They looked at each other before reaching for the other's hand. Their eyes turned back to Melinda for a moment before the two slowly faded into the night. Melinda sat there, processing what had just taken place before her, and a smile appeared on her face. That was Jim and herself, both happy, in love, and together. She finally made sense of her dream, and it warmed her heart. The couple that had graced her with their presence crossed over with no problems, considering how they had been robbed of their lives, and Melinda took great comfort in the fact that they were together…Forever and For Always.

**I almost cried writing this chapter, especially the end. I know this was a short chapter, but I think it was well written. What did you guys think? Did it make you sad? Did you like it? Please review and let me know how you enjoyed it, or if you didn't enjoy it. Anyway, Forever and For Always is over and I hope to be starting another story soon, so thoughts on that are strongly advised. You all were such loyal readers, much appreciation to you. Thanks, guys.**

**Oh, and if you guys didn't know, No Ordinary Love is almost over as well. Just a few more chapters and that one will end, too. I had an idea of writing a sequel. I want some feedback on that, also. Thanks!**


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